John Adams: Tennessee's experienced staff could make up for loss in continuity

John Adams, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones reacts to the team's first touchdown in the first half of the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 30, 2016.

Four years ago, Butch Jones was hired as Tennessee’s new football coach. And like any new coach, he had a grand plan.

“You win with consistency,” he said at his introductory news conference. “You win with continuity.”

His hires lent credence to those words.

Seven of his nine assistant coaches had been at Central Michigan, where Jones first became a head coach. Five of his assistants had been with him at Cincinnati, his second head-coaching stop.

In a sport where assistant coaches move hither there and yon at a furious pace, the continuity on Jones’ staff defied the norm. And at a school that had three different head coaches in the previous five seasons, the continuity was reassuring.

Jones is a long way from that now.

Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord left the Vols for the Indiana Hoosiers after this past season. Willie Martinez, UT’s assistant head coach and defensive backs coach, was fired. A new quarterbacks coach (Mike Canales), secondary coach (Charlton Warren) and strength coach (Rock Gullickson) were hired.

The coaching shuffle might not be finished, either, as Jones reacts to the mishaps of a 9-4 season that started out 5-0. There has been considerable speculation about whether defensive line coach Steve Stripling and offensive line coach Don Mahoney would be retained. Their contracts, which expire this month, have yet to be renewed.

Brady Hoke will replace Stripling as defensive line coach, according to a 247Sports report.  He has been a head coach at Ball State, San Diego State and Michigan.

Hoke has been fired at his past two jobs, as Michigan’s head coach and Oregon’s defensive coordinator. Oregon's defense ranked 126th out of 128 teams while giving up 41.4 points per game.

The Ducks’ defense was so inept last season that university President Michael Schill took a shot at Hoke during new coach Willie Taggart’s introductory news conference.

“Go out and find a great defensive coordinator,” Schill told Taggart.

However, it’s not as though Hoke was working with Alabama-like personnel. Oregon returned just four defensive starters from a team that gave up 37.5 points per game.

Hoke would add even more experience to an already experienced staff. He has 35 years of coaching experience, and has been a defensive line coach at four different schools.

Gullickson has 39 years' experience at the college and pro level as a strength and conditioning coach. Canales has coached for 30 years.

New Tennessee QB coach Mike Canales known as 'Chico' to old friends

Experience can make for an easier transition to a new staff. But a coach as accustomed to continuity as Jones will have to adjust, too.

Returning staff members will have a significant role in whatever progress the University of Tennessee can make on both sides of the ball.

With a healthier defense and a full year in defensive coordinator Bob Shoop’s system, the defense almost has to be better. Larry Scott, who was promoted to offensive coordinator, will be heavily scrutinized since he never has been a coordinator at the college level. With that promotion, Jones left himself wide open to second-guessing.

But if the changes work out, Jones will get the credit. And no one, including Jones, should care as much about continuity.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter: @johnadamsKNS

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