All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee football’s 10 biggest storylines of 2020

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 22: Smokey the live Tennessee Volunteers mascot on the sidelines during the game between the Florida Gators and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium on September 22, 2018 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Florida won the game 47-21. (Photo by Donald Page/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 10
Next
Sep 21, 2019; Gainesville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers offensive line coach Will Friend during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2019; Gainesville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers offensive line coach Will Friend during the second half at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Six staff members leave throughout the year

Immediately after their bowl win, staff departures began for Tennessee football. There was no stability here, and they resulted in the Vols having no original position coaches from their first year under Pruitt by December. The first one was two days later, when running backs coach David Johnson left to join Mike Norvell’s staff with the Florida State Seminoles.

Three weeks later, inside linebackers coach Kevin Sherrer left to join Joe Judge’s staff with the New York Giants. Outside linebackers coach Chris Rumph left two weeks after that to take over the Houston Texans, and defensive line coach Tracy Rocker as well, eventually joining the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Pruitt replaced Johnson with Jay Graham. He then moved tight ends coach Brian Niedermeyer over to inside linebackers coach and promoted Joe Osovet to tight ends coach. Shelton Felton replaced Rumph, and Jimmy Brumbaugh replaced Rocker.

However, that wasn’t the end of the staff drama. As the wheels began to come off the program midseason, Pruitt fired Brumbaugh. Then, after the season ended, offensive line coach Will Friend left to join the Gamecocks’ staff. That leaves two vacancies on the Vols’ staff entering 2021. That’s a major question surrounding the program.

Home/Vols Football