UT Vols coaching search: The end could be near with reported offer to Jeremy Pruitt
Blake Toppmeyer
Tennessee football coach Butch Jones was fired Nov. 12 after five seasons with the Vols. Jones went 34-27 during his tenure, including a 14-24 record in the SEC.
Athletic director John Currie promised an "exhaustive search" to find Jones' replacement. But it won't be Currie finishing the search. On Friday, Currie was suspended with pay as the university attempts to fire him with cause.
Phillip Fulmer was appointed athletic director. Fulmer, who coached Tennessee from 1992-2008, is now in charge of finding the next Vols coach.
Here's the latest on the coaching search.
It could be over...
After nearly two weeks of chaos, the coaching search could finally be coming to a close.
Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is weighing an offer from Tennessee to become its next head coach, according to a report Wednesday night from ESPN.com's Chris Low.
Details of the potential deal with Pruitt were still being worked out as of Wednesday night, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports and SI.com reported.
Pruitt and fellow defensive coordinators Kevin Steele of Auburn and Mel Tucker of Georgia were considered finalists for the job, which has been open since Tennessee fired Butch Jones on Nov. 12.
Previously in the search
ooking like a coordinator hire
Scratch another candidate off the list.
Arkansas will name SMU's Chad Morris its next coach, ESPN.com's Chris Low reported Wednesday. Morris had been a candidate for the Tennessee job.
It looks more and more like Tennessee's hire will come from the coordinator ranks. The leading contenders are Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt, Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables and Southern California offensive coordinator Tee Martin.
Citing sources, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and SI.com reported on Wednesday morning that Pruitt had emerged as "a strong candidate" for the job.
Is the end near?
Footballscoop.com reported that Fulmer is meeting with candidates for a second time on Tuesday and that Fulmer could have his choice by Tuesday night.
Smart money Tuesday morning appeared to be on one of five candidates: Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, SMU coach Chad Morris, Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt or Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
However, Southern California offensive coordinator Tee Martin, who played quarterback for Fulmer at UT, picked up some momentum Tuesday afternoon.
ESPN.com's Chris Low reported that Martin and Fulmer had a productive conversation via phone on Tuesday.
Fulmer is in New York for Peyton Manning's College Football Hall of Fame enshrinement.
Steele was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which was presented Tuesday in Little Rock, Ark. There were five finalists for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant. Steele was the only one not present. That seems noteworthy.
VolQuest.com, citing sources, reported that Steele is in New York meeting with UT officials for a second time.
Venables, the 2016 Broyles Award winner, was on hand for Tuesday's ceremony in Arkansas.
ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach reported Tuesday that Tucker was en route to New York for a second interview with Tennessee brass.
Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports reported on Tuesday morning that former LSU coach Les Miles is not a candidate for the job. Thamel is in New York covering the College Football Hall of Fame induction. GoVols247, citing a source, reported Saturday night that Tennessee had interest in Miles.
Fulmer may be open to coordinators
Currie's search appeared focused only on candidates who had head coaching experience. Fulmer's hunt might not follow the same path.
He referenced Friday that he had no head coaching experience before taking the reins of the Tennessee job before the 1992 season.
"I've been charged to find the right coach for these circumstances: head coach, assistant coach and coordinators," Fulmer said. " I wasn't a head coach when I started. More times than not, you like experience to come in, somebody that has been a head coach. We'll see where that goes."
A few coordinators have joined the coaching search conversation since Fulmer has taken over.
Footballscoop.com, citing sources, reported Monday that Fulmer has spoken with or plans to speak with Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables, Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, former LSU coach Les Miles and SMU coach Chad Morris.
Morris is believed to have been on Currie's radar.
Neither Tucker nor Venables has head coaching experience, but Venables has a decorated run as a coordinator, having won national titles with Clemson and Oklahoma. He was a name included on our initial hot board, published Nov. 12. So was Morris.
This is only Tucker's second season as a coordinator. Georgia is tied for third nationally in scoring defense.
Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and SI.com reported Monday that Venables and Morris are names to monitor as the search reboots under Fulmer.
Les Miles takes his turn
The "Mad Hatter" is now apparently linked to the Vols' mad coaching search.
GoVols247, citing a source, reported Saturday night that Tennessee has interest in former LSU coach Les Miles, who has been on the market since he was fired in September 2016.
"No real news!!" Miles said in a text to the Baton Rouge Advocate.
Miles, 64, has made it known that he'd like to coach again. His career record is 114-34. That includes a national title with LSU to cap the 2007 season.
More:UT Vols football: A timeline of Tennessee's coaching search
What about Tee?
Many speculated that with Fulmer now driving the coaching search, the focus would turn to Southern California offensive coordinator Tee Martin, the former UT quarterback who won a national championship under Fulmer.
After USC won the Pac-12 championship on Friday night, Martin said he'd "heard from everyone in Tennessee, except Tennessee," ESPN Radio's Kevin Winter reported.
Martin posted a tweet Saturday morning thanking the Tennessee fans who attended the Pac-12 championship.
The 'Leacher'?
Late Thursday night, a fresh name emerged: Washington State coach Mike Leach.
GoVols247, citing a source, reported that athletic director John Currie met with Leach on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports and SI.com, citing a source, reported that Tennessee's meeting with Leach on Thursday "went very well." Feldman wrote a book with Leach, "Swing Your Sword," which published in 2011. The AP, citing a source, also reported that Leach and Currie met Thursday to discuss the job.
But on Friday morning, ESPN.com's Chris Low reported that "no deal has been struck" with Leach and that Currie was scheduled to meet with Chancellor Beverly Davenport to "reassess the search."
Leach was a name included on our latest hot board, after first appearing on hot board 2.0.
Former Florida Steve Spurrier coach, during an appearance Thursday on "The Paul Finebaum Show," suggested Leach would be a good candidate for Tennessee to consider. Spurrier dubbed Leach "The Leacher."
“I like Mike Leach a lot,” Spurrier said.
Leach was asked about the Tennessee job following WSU's season finale on Saturday, after a report by Footballscoop.com stated that Leach had a good shot at the UT job and would be interested in it if approached.
“I can’t speak to rumors I don’t know anything about, really," Leach told the Spokesman Review on Saturday.
Leach is 122-80 in his 16 seasons as a head coach. He's in his sixth season at Washington State. Before that, he coached 10 seasons at Texas Tech. He never had a losing season in Lubbock.
Another whiff; now what?
Well, Tennessee endured another failed pursuit of a coach, when reports surfaced Thursday that Dave Doeren was staying put after negotiating a new contract with North Carolina State. Doeren had fielded interest from the Vols.
Many Tennessee fans didn't seem excited about the possibility of Doeren, who's 33-30 in five seasons at NCSU.
Fans might be a little more favorable toward the latest name to surface.
Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports and SI.com, citing a source, reported on Thursday afternoon that Tennessee has interest in Kevin Sumlin, the former Texas A&M coach who was fired on Sunday.
Sumlin went 51-26 in six seasons at A&M.
Sumlin was featured on our latest coaching hot board.
Is the end in sight?
The Vols missed on another candidate Wednesday, as talks between UT and Purdue's Jeff Brohm didn't result in a deal.
Next in line: N.C. State coach Dave Doeren reportedly could be the guy for the Vols.
More:Dave Doeren: 5 things to know about potential UT Vols football coach
Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports and SI.com reported Thursday that Doeren has become the Vols' latest target but that he's also weighing a new contract from NCSU that would increase his term and salary.
Doeren's current contract runs through the 2020 season and pays him $2.21 million. His buyout for leaving would be $2.52 million.
The Raleigh News & Observer reported that Doeren has a potential offer in place from Tennessee.
If so, it's decision time for Doeren, who has a 33-30 record in five seasons at NCSU.
Doeren's dance with the Vols might be nothing more than a maneuver to help secure a better contract at NCSU.
USA TODAY's Dan Wolken reported on Wednesday that Doeren had been engaged in a prolonged standoff with his athletics director, Debbie Yow, regarding a possible contract extension, and he'd begun to search for outlets amid an active coaching carousel.
If not Doeren, options still remain for the Vols. There's SMU coach Chad Morris, who was included on our initial hot board on Nov. 12.
Many Tennessee fans have coalesced behind former UT quarterback Tee Martin, the offensive coordinator at Southern California who is a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation's top assistant.
More:UT Vols hot board (2.0): 7 names from David Cutcliffe to Tee Martin to Jeff Brohm
Speaking of potential candidates with UT ties, what about Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, another finalist for the Broyles Award? He played for Johnny Majors at Tennessee and then started his coaching career under him.
Vols whiff on Gundy
The focus of Tennessee's coaching search shifted to Oklahome State coach Mike Gundy on Tuesday, with reports that Gundy was meeting with Tennessee officials in Dallas.
But like the last time the Vols pursued Gundy, in 2012, he turned them down.
"Cowboy For Life!" Gundy tweeted Tuesday night.
Brett McMurphy, a college football insider formerly with ESPN, reported that Gundy turned down a six-year, $42 million deal from Tennessee.
What a Sunday
Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano won't be the next Tennessee head coach. But he almost was.
Sunday began with a USA TODAY report that Schiano was in line to be hired by the Vols. Then it began. The Tennessee fan base erupted. State representatives chimed in. Local businesses tossed in their two cents.
The uproar, in part, stemmed from Schiano's years spent at Penn State working on Jerry Sandusky's staff. Testimony released in 2016 mentioned Schiano's name, as former Penn State staffer Mike McQueary testified that fellow assistant Tom Bradley told McQueary that Schiano was aware of a child sexual abuse incident by Sandusky, who was Penn State's defensive coordinator.
Schiano and Bradley denied having knowledge or witnessing any of Sandusky's abuse.
But the backlash was overwhelming and the deal was reportedly dead by the end of the day.
Currie issued a statement Monday morning defending his coaching search, stating that Schiano was "carefully interviewed and vetted."
More:John Currie says Tennessee 'carefully interviewed' Greg Schiano
Before Sunday's madness, reports Saturday pointed to Mississippi State's Dan Mullen being the leading candidate, while the Vols backed away from Iowa State's Matt Campbell.
Mullen was hired Sunday by Florida.
How about a couple names from UT's past?
Former Tennessee offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe is "a viable candidate," Footballscoop.com reported on Nov. 20. Cutcliffe is in his 10th season coaching Duke.
(Update:Cutcliffe is not interested in the job, according to a report from ESPN.com's Chris Low.)
The website listed a few other names of potential interest, including Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson, another former Vols offensive coordinator. Clawson is in his fourth season at Wake Forest, which is 7-4. He previously coached five seasons at Wake Forest.
What about Jon Gruden?
The Gruden-to-Tennessee rumors have gone on for so many years that they have a name of their own: Grumors.
As expected, with the Tennessee job open, the Grumor mill is in full swing.
Even Calhoun's restaurant joined the fray on Saturday, Nov. 18.
More:Knoxville BBQ restaurant apologizes for spreading Jon Gruden rumors
Multiple media outlets, citing unnamed Calhoun's employees, reported that Gruden was dining at the restaurant's Tennessee River location with former UT quarterback Peyton Manning.
Following the reports, Calhoun's released a statement saying it wasn't sure it was Gruden at the restaurant and apologized for its part in the matter. An ESPN public relations official wrote on Twitter that Gruden was in Seattle preparing for "Monday Night Football" and not eating barbecue in Knoxville. The Seattle Times also reported that information.
On Friday, Nov. 17, CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd reported that Tennessee has "considerable reservations about hiring Gruden."
The strongest report came from Grant Ramey of GoVols247, who reported, citing sources, that Currie flew to Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday, Nov. 15. Gruden lives in Tampa. Additionally, sources told GoVols247 that UT gave Gruden a deadline on making a decision.
Gruden, when asked about the Tennessee opening on ESPN's "Mike and Mike" on Nov. 15, said "You never say never to nothing."
The Chattanooga Times Free Press, citing sources, reported on Nov. 15 that Gruden has contacted some college assistants to gauge their interest in possibly joining him on a coaching staff.
Paul Finebaum, of the SEC Network and ESPN, said on his radio show on Tuesday, Nov. 14 that one source close to Gruden told him that Gruden is not coming to Tennessee.
Footballscoop.com addressed the Grumors with a report that stated "Gruden has no interest in being the next coach at Tennessee."
Gruden, who coached in the NFL at Oakland and Tampa Bay, is an ESPN analyst.
Dan Mullen, Bobby Petrino field questions on job openings
Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen had been on the wish list for some Tennessee fans long before UT fired Jones.
Mullen was asked on Nov. 13 at his news conference how the attractiveness of the Tennessee job compares to the job he has.
"I love the one I have," Mullen told reporters in Starkville.
(Update: Florida hired Mullen.)
More:Dan Mullen on Vols' opening: 'I have a great job' at Mississippi State
More:Why not Jon Gruden? Or Dan Mullen? Or Scott Frost?
Additionally, the topic of job openings came up at Louisville coach Bobby Petrino's Nov. 13 news conference.
“I don’t really worry about it,” Petrino said, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. “I’ve just got to focus on what I can do. (Director of football operations Andy Wagner) was asking me something earlier today. I said, ‘I don’t even know that.’ "
Neither coach definitively stated they weren't interested in Tennessee.
Mullen and Petrino are two of the 15 names off our coaching hot board.
Report states that an NFL assistant is of interest
The New York Daily News, citing sources, reported that Tennessee has interest in New York Jets defensive coordinator Kacy Rodgers.
Rodgers, a native of Humboldt, just north of Jackson, played linebacker/defensive end for the Vols from 1988-91. He's in his third season as the Jets' DC. The Jets rank 16th in the NFL in scoring defense.
Currie isn't using a search firm
One of the more interesting comments from Currie's news conference Nov. 12 was that he said he doesn't plan to use a search firm at this time.
That implies a couple things: One, Currie probably has been working on this search for a while, even though Jones wasn't fired until Sunday. And two, Currie might already have a short list of candidates and feels good about his ability to nab one of them.
Who are names to watch?
As is typical during coaching searches, a lot of names will be thrown against the wall by various media outlets. Some will be linked to the Tennessee job. Rumors will rule the day.
More:Butch Jones' replacement as Tennessee football coach: 15 names from Gruden to Gundy
Here are 15 names we think could come up during the search.
Who is the interim coach?
Currie named defensive line coach Brady Hoke the interim coach on Nov. 12. Hoke has previous head coaching experience at Michigan, San Diego State and Ball State.
Hoke promised some "tweaks" are coming as the Vols prepare for their final two regular-season games and vowed that the staff would give a good effort for the seniors.
More:UT Vols' Brady Hoke to get $50,000 extra a month for interim role
What was the cost for firing Jones?
Jones was under contract through Feb. 28, 2021. Because he was fired without cause, he's owed $8.26 million in buyout money, according to the separation agreement UT released. That buyout adheres to the language in Jones' contract. Jones is required to seek comparable employment to mitigate the damages.
More:Butch Jones fired: What's in football coach's termination letter from Vols AD John Currie
The buyout will be paid in monthly installments until Jones' contract was set to expire.
More UT Football Headlines:
UT Vols coaching search: Here's what we know, including Mike Leach, Kevin Sumlin
UT Vols: What will it take for them to return to SEC championship game?
Cade Mays narrows down to top three choices
Mike Leach: 5 things to know about potential UT Vols football coach
UT Vols football: Dave Doeren staying at NC State after interest from Tennessee
UT Vols football: Kevin Sumlin? Kevin Steele? Les Miles? Are only fired coaches options now?
UT Vols hot board (3.0): 8 names from Kevin Sumlin to Mike Leach to Tee Martin
UT Vols: Man identified after arrest at men's basketball game
Kevin Sumlin: 5 things to know about potential UT Vols football coach