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Tennessee football: Five biggest reasons for excitement over Vols 2020 offseason

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 5: The Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs through the end zone after a score against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 5, 2013 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 5: The Tennessee Volunteers mascot Smokey runs through the end zone after a score against the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium on October 5, 2013 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images /

4. More familiarity with systems due to returning coordinators

For the first time since 2014, Tennessee football enters the season with the same offensive and defensive coordinators it had the season before. Beyond that, this is the first time since 2017 the Vols entered a season without changing both coordinators. Yes, there has been that much attrition on Rocky Top, even dating back to when Jeremy Pruitt took over.

Finally, though, Jeremy Pruitt has his guys. Jim Chaney is in his second year running the offense, and Derrick Ansley is in his second year running the defense. Meanwhile, wide receivers coach Tee Martin is in his second year as UT’s passing game coordinator. So the Vols have a level of familiarity they haven’t enjoyed yet over the past few years, and that’s a big deal.

It may be small, but if there wasn’t a learning curve with Chaney’s system as opposed to Tyson Helton’s, then maybe the Vols would have won their first two games in 2019 against the Georgia State Panthers and BYU Cougars. Ansley was a Pruitt protege, so he kept the same system in place, but there’s still a possibility the players had to adjust to his style.

As a result, both coordinators being back with so much returning talent as well makes this a big deal. The Vols haven’t had this much stability since the Phillip Fulmer years. Now yes, they do have to replace their special teams coordinator with Kevin Sherrer gone. But returning the main coordinators is a big deal and a huge plus.

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