Former Vols Strength Coach Artis Pens Farewell to Tennessee

A.J. Artis joined Tennessee's program in 2018 working under Craig Fitzgerald. He passed up opportunities to leave Knoxville and would be rewarded by taking over the Strength Program last Summer, as Fitzgerald bolted for the NFL.

All of Artis's work came during the pandemic, as he was tasked with implementing his plan and ideas with players not on campus.

Artis had an opportunity to remain at Tennessee but left for South Florida last week. Last night, Artis penned a farewell to Tennessee.

"Thank you to Jeremy Pruitt and AD Phillip Fulmer for allowing me to grow and build a successful strength & conditioning program," Artis wrote. "Thank you to Josh Heupel and AD Danny White for believing in my work ethic and potential. To each of my student-athletes: It's been my honor to coach you. The relationships we've built will last a lifetime. I'm blessed to have been part of the University of Tennessee's football legacy and look forward to the positive impact I aim to have on the USF football program."

Tennessee's transition will be seamless as Kurt Schmidt is already in place to head the strength & conditioning program. Tennessee officially announced the move last week.

"With 19 years of combined collegiate and NFL experience in strength and conditioning, Kurt Schmidt has been named Tennessee football's director of competition development, head coach Josh Heupel officially announced on Tuesday. Schmidt, who has worked alongside Heupel for the past four seasons, is overseeing the Volunteers' strength and conditioning and sports performance efforts. Schmidt served as the director of sports performance at UCF from 2018-20, an era that saw the Knights establish themselves as one of the fastest and fittest teams in college football."

Did you know VR2 on SI does Podcasts? Check out the staff's latest breakdowns here.

VR2 on SI is also on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Check out any of the links to ensure you do not miss any of the coverage of your favorite Tennessee teams!

You can follow the staff, Matt, Brandon, and Dale on Twitter by clicking any of their names.

Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Vols targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

Sports Illustrated also offers insight, information and up to the minute details for gamblers. Check it out here.

featured image via Nuts and Bolts Sports