Tennessee football’s five coaches before Josh Heupel hired for offense

Previous role: Oakland Raiders head coach

Similar to Phillip Fulmer, there were other factors in play when Tennessee football hired his replacement. However, Lane Kiffin’s track record as a head coach with the Oakland Raiders, where he went 4-12 in 2007 and was then fired after a 1-3 start in 2008, was not one of them.

Still, Kiffin was hired because of his connections and ability to bring an elite staff to Knoxville, including Monte Kiffin, and for his youthful energy. Mike Hamilton wanted to inject spice into a program fans believed had grown stale for years.

Part of that spice, though, was an updated offense, even if it was still the pro style. Don’t forget that the Vols’ offense was historically bad in 2008, outmatching their historically bad offense in 2005. It was fine in 2006 and 2007 but largely because those were the two years David Cutcliffe had returned as offensive coordinator to the program.

Kiffin was the USC Trojans’ offensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007 and was on the offensive staff throughout Pete Carroll’s peak offensive run, one that produced Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush and loaded the NFL with talent. That type of success made him an intriguing candidate.

Of course, it didn’t work out, as Kiffin left for USC after a year. Hamilton hired Derek Dooley as his replacement, and Dooley could be on this list with a background in offense. However, he was hired solely for his success with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, and his experience is more in special teams, so he didn’t make the list.