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Tennessee football: Top five coaches who worked under Johnny Majors

By Caleb Calhoun

4 Jan 1999: Head Coach Phillip Fulmer of the Tennessee Volunteers excepting an award after the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Seminoles 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Laforet /Allsport
4 Jan 1999: Head Coach Phillip Fulmer of the Tennessee Volunteers excepting an award after the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl Game against the Florida State Seminoles at the Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Seminoles 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Laforet /Allsport /
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Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images
Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images /

Pick Analysis. 1986-1987. 839. GA. Jon Gruden. 1. player. Scouting Report

Head coaching record: 106-102

  • Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders: 1998-2001; 2018-present (49-47)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2002-2008 (57-55)

Yes, Jon Gruden is the most successful coach to study under Johnny Majors at Tennessee football. Although Phillip Fulmer is a greater Vols legend, Gruden won a championship at a higher level, and he is still coaching. As a result, he gets the nod.

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After graduating from the Dayton Flyers, Gruden joined Majors and his staff as a graduate assistant in 1986. He focused on the offensive side, working with three other coaches already on this list in Fulmer, Walt Harris and David Cutcliffe. The year he took over was the year after UT returned to national prominence with its 9-1-2 record, SEC Championship and top five finish.

In those two years, Gruden was part of a program that turned a 2-5 season into a 7-5 finish in 1986 and then had its first 10-win season, going 10-2-1 in 1987, under Majors. After those two years, Gruden built a great career.

It started with him being the passing game coordinator at Southeast Missouri State in 1988 before him joining Harris’ staff on the Pacific Tigers in 1989. His NFL career began in 1990, and he spent time with the San Francisco 49ers, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles before joining the Oakland Raiders in 1998.

Gruden then spent four years in Oakland, reaching the playoffs each of the last two years and getting robbed with the Tuck Rule his final year there. Then he replaced Tony Dungy to take over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning a Super Bowl title his first year and making three playoff appearances, turning into five overall.

Next. 10 best single seasons by Vols of all time. dark

Once Gruden was fired, Gruden had a nine-year career as a legendary Monday Night Football commentator. But he’s now back entering the third year of his second stint coaching the Raiders, who just moved to Las Vegas. So as a guy who won a Super Bowl and is still coaching, he’s Majors’ most successful assistant from his time with Tennessee football.

For more posts remembering Johnny Majors’ accomplishments on Rocky Top as a player and coach for Tennessee football, please click here.

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