Previous role: Running backs coach, Texas Longhorns
Whenever a hire involves an SEC school, it’ll have an even greater effect on Tennessee football. In this case, it involves a school that will join the SEC but hasn’t joined it yet, so it has a semi-greater effect. Anyway, Stan Drayton leaving the Texas Longhorns will have to have some impact.
Drayton was actually part of Dave Clawson’s staff when he was offensive coordinator with the Vols in 2008. He’s been serving as a running backs coach at Power Five schools since 2005, and the past five years, he’s been with the Texas Longhorns. Staying on from Tom Herman to Steve Sarkisian really shows how much he’s valued.
Anyway, now he’s leaving for his first head coaching opportunity. Drayton replaces Rod Carey, who was fired by the Temple Owls after a 3-9 season and a 13-20 three-year tenure there. Leaving a future SEC school for a current AAC school is naturally going to impact the Vols.
Of course, Temple isn’t any recruiting competition for Rocky Top, but the Vols do have some Penn State connections with guys like Tim Banks. As a result, this could have an impact on recruiting the state of Pennsylvania. What keeps this from being higher isn’t just that Texas isn’t yet in the SEC, but there’s no alignment scenario in which they’ll be an SEC rival with the Vols.