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10 times Tennessee Vols athletics raised fans hopes too high

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images /

4. Butch Jones early success with football program amounting to nothing

When he took over in 2013, Butch Jones had the Tennessee Vols football program on the rise. Fans fell in love with him when he put the program on track for a top five 2014 recruiting class. His first team was 4-3 after a shocking win over the South Carolina Gamecocks, who would finish the year 11-2 and in the top five, but a season-ending injury to Justin Worley is why it fell to 5-7.

Jones was forgiven for that, and he got another mulligan for having to replace all five offensive linemen in 2014. After all, he secured a top five recruiting class and had another one on the way in 2015. At 3-5 in 2014, Joshua Dobbs became the starter, and he led a turnaround to finish 7-6 for the program’s first bowl game since 2010, winning season since 2009 and bowl win since 2007.

After another top five class and everybody back, Jones was riding high. He showed his first signs of trouble with a 2-3 start in 2015, but he finish 9-4 and in the top 25 to meet expectations, and everybody was back in 2016, which started 5-0. At that point, UT was on an 11-game winning streak and in the top 10. Then it all unraveled.

The Tennessee Vols lost three straight, failed to win the East, and then had to replace a ton of staff members in the offseason. They then collapsed in 2017, and Jones was fired in November. Everything was on track for him on Oct. 1, 2016. By Nov. 12, 2017, he was gone in disgrace. It was an insane fall, and Jones’ early success and energy was clearly false hope.

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