Tennessee football: 10 coaches Vols should avoid hiring

9. Will Healy

When it comes to Will Healy, you’re looking at a guy who would probably take the Tennessee football job and has great connections in East Tennessee and bordering states to Tennessee on the Atlantic Coast. Healy played quarterback for the Richmond Spiders from 2004 to 2008, ironically under Dave Clawson, who would become UT’s offensive coordinator in 2008.

Look, Healy’s turnarounds have been impressive. He went 8-4 his second year with the Austin Peay Governors after they had a total of one win in their previous four seasons. However, the improvements so far with the Charlotte 49ers haven’t been as substantial.

In his first year, Healy did go 7-6. His predecessor, Brad Lambert, went 5-7 in 2018, though, after going 1-11 in 2017. The program’s first year in FBS play was 2015, so it appeared as if Lambert was the one laying the foundation for the program to go in the right direction.

Charlotte went 2-4 in this past year’s COVID-shortened season. Simply put, we don’t know enough about Healy yet. It’s true that beggars can’t be choosers, and UT is in no position to beg, but there are career assistants whose experience at major programs make them better qualified for this position. It’s unfair, and that’s why Healy is down here, but he just needs to prove more.