Tennessee football has sent several great players to the NFL who have become legends in their own right. Tennessee has solidified its footprint across the league for decades, whether it's players, coaches, or front office workers.
Vols continue to be considered for coaching and front-office jobs throughout the NFL. In recent years, we've seen former Vols become coordinators, head coaches, and general managers, and recent reports from the NFL continue that trend.
The Tennessee Titans fired General Manager Ran Carthon after two years with the organization. To fill the vacancy, they have requested an interview with former Tennessee Vols linebacker Reggie McKenzie, who is currently with the Miami Dolphins serving as a Senior Personnel Executive within the organization.
🚨 Tennessee Titans have requested to interview Senior Personnel Executive Reggie McKenzie for the vacant GM role. (@TDavenport_NFL) #GoFins pic.twitter.com/uUvD0gfpfq
— FinsXtra (@FinsXtra) January 8, 2025
This would not be McKenzie's first GM job in the NFL. He served as the Oakland Raiders general manager for seven seasons before being fired in 2018, one year after being recognized as one of the top general managers in the league. That decision has not benefited the Raiders as they are now on their third GM in six years since firing McKenzie.
McKenzie played linebacker for the Vols from 1981 to 1984. The Los Angeles Raiders drafted him in the 10th round of the 1985 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Raiders and one season with the San Francisco 49ers before ending his career and beginning his career as an NFL executive.
He began his career in the front office with the Green Bay Packers and spent 17 years in the organization before finally being hired as the Raiders' general manager.
McKenzie isn't the only former Vol being considered for a high-profile NFL job. Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach and Tennessee graduate assistant coach Brandon Staley is being considered for the San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator position.
Staley worked at Tennessee in 2012 under Derek Dooley, where he helped with defensive coaching responsibilities. He only spent one season on Rocky Top before taking the defensive coordinator job at John Carroll, a D-3 school in Ohio, but he left his mark in the Dooley regime.
Since then, he has worked his way through the college and professional ranks, becoming the Chargers' head coach in 2021 after one season as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator. He went 24-24 in his three years before being fired during the 2023 season.
He spent the 2024 season as the 49ers' Assistant Head Coach, where he helped Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers head coach. If Staley is named defensive coordinator, it would be his second job as a DC in the NFL.