Three Tennessee Vols up for the College Football Hall of Fame lead our June 17, 2020 Volunteers news.
Heading into the back half of June, there is still cautious optimism that football will happen this Fall, and the SEC taking steps to make sure classes are held as states reopen are encouraging signs. Even in a dead period, though, the Tennessee Vols continue to make news.
Our morning update on Rocky Top leads with the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for 2021. We’ll talk about the UT players who found their way on that ballot and could be up for such recognition. More coverage on the football program’s new strength and conditioning coach also made its way into this report.
Speaking of strength and conditioning coaches, we also have the addition of an assistant coach in another sport to cover. So the whole athletic department managed to make news. Let’s start with the Hall of Fame coverage.
CFB 2021 Hall of Fame ballot includes three Vols – National Football Foundation
Former Tennessee Vols linebacker Al Wilson, wide receiver Willie Gault and defensive back Bobby Majors are all on the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame ballot. This is the second straight year Wilson and Majors made the ballot. This year’s ballot includes78 FBS players and seven FBS coaches along with 99 players and 33 coaches from other divisions.
"The announcement of the 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT will be made in early 2021, with specific details to be announced in the future. The 2021 College Football Hall of Fame Class Presented by ETT will be officially inducted during the 64th NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Dec. 7, 2021, at the New York Hilton Midtown."
Salary revealed for new UT strength coach – Patrick Brown, GoVols247
Jeremy Pruitt announced that A.J. Artis would be Tennessee football’s new strength and conditioning coach on Monday, replacing Craig Fitzgerald, who departed for the New York Giants. On Tuesday, Artis’ salary was revealed. His contract will run through May 14, 2022, and he will make $200,000 a year.
"The bonus structure in Artis’s contract mirrors the incentives in the deals for Tennessee’s assistant coaches and includes bonuses for bowl games, New Year’s Six game, College Football Playoff and SEC Championship Game appearances and championships.The buyout terms stipulate Tennessee would owe Artis the remainder of his salary (offset by his salary at a position of comparable employment) if it terminates the contract, while he would owe Tennessee 33% percent of the remaining salary if he left before May 14, 2021, and $25,000 after that date."
Men’s tennis adds volunteer assistant – UTSports
Former East Carolina Pirates assistant coach Ian Van Cott is joining Chris Woodruff’s staff as a volunteer assistant for the Tennessee Vols men’s tennis program. Van Cott was with the Pirates for three years, and that program was 11-2 in 2020 before COVID-19 prematurely shut down the season. Before ECU, Van Cott spent a year as a volunteer assistant with the Princeton Tigers.
"At Tulane, Van Cott was a four-year letterwinner as he posted a 52-46 career record in singles, while going 43-20 in doubles. He also helped lead the Green Wave to the NCAA Tournament during his senior season where the team won its first NCAA match in over 11 years."