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Tennessee football reportedly hiring Kevin Steele is suspicious: Five possibilities

By Caleb Calhoun

Jan 1, 2021; Orlando, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers interim head coach Kevin Steele walks on the field before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 1, 2021; Orlando, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers interim head coach Kevin Steele walks on the field before the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 1, 2018; Charlotte, NC, USA; A Tennessee Volunteers helmet is seen pregame before the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports /

ESPN is reporting the Tennessee football Volunteers added former Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator.

Something’s not right. Tennessee football has two coaching vacancies and hired Kevin Steele after he was not retained by new Auburn Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin, initially according to a report from Chris Low of ESPN and confirmed by UTSports. Steele, played for Rocky Top in the late 1970s under Johnny Majors and was an assistant there from 1980 to 1982 and 1987 to 1988.

However, Mark Schlabach of ESPN reported just last Thursday that UT is in the midst of a hiring freeze. According to Schlabach, they can’t hire coaches for vacancies or extend the contracts of current assistants amidst an investigation into the program for recruiting violations.

If that’s the case, though, then how could they add Steele? Well, it could only mean one of a few things, all of which would be a huge news story on its own. Let’s break down the five possibilities related to Tennessee football based on the information in these two reports from least likely scenario to most likely scenario.

Possibility No. 5: Schlabach’s report is wrong.

We know that Low’s report is true now that the university has confirmed it. So what does that mean for Schlabach’s report last Thursday? Well, anybody who follows the SEC has too much experience following Schlabach’s work to think he would get this wrong. I’m willing to bet everything that he got that report right. Nobody would ever bet anything against him.

Still, we’re having to raise all possibilities right now. Unless there’s something we don’t expect happening, which involves all four of the other scenarios, then the Vols aren’t on a hiring freeze. How else could we explain this possibility?

On the other hand, there are plenty of more inexplicable scenarios yet more likely at the same time. And it raises even more questions surrounding the Tennessee football program. Simply put, if the report is accurate, and it almost certainly is, then the real explanation is way juicier, regardless of what it is.

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