Tennessee football: Ranking all 28 offseason coaching changes by impact on Vols

Previous role: Offensive coordinator, Louisiana Lafayette Ragin Cajuns

Group of Five hires in SEC country always have a bigger impact on Tennessee football, and that’s no different here. The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns, despite playing in a state where the one SEC team is in the division opposite the Vols, still could compete with UT for some recruits.

That’s especially true given the success of this program the last four years, as they have won four straight division titles, two straight Sun Belt Conference titles and enjoyed two straight top 20 finishes. Louisiana made the smart decision to just continue the success Billy Napier started by hiring his offensive coordinator, Michael Desormeaux.

Before leading the Ragin’ Cajuns in their 36-21 New Orleans Bowl victory over the Marshall Thundering Herd, Desormeaux was named the program’s head coach. A graduate of the program who has been an assistant there for six years, his hire made sense.

Of course, despite going to a Group of Five school in the SEC, Desormeaux wasn’t lured away from anywhere that would be a greater threat to the Vols. The hire of Napier is a different story, which we’ll touch on later, but this specific hire only impacts UT by where Louisiana is located. It’s not enough to be that high on the list.