Tennessee Coaching Search Hot Board 1.0

Jeremy Pruitt is no longer the coach at Tennessee after turning in a 3-7 performance with double-digit losses in each contest. Tennessee will look to avoid a disastrous coaching search this time around, and we have the potential candidates for the job that we have heard mentioned. (in no particular order)

Doug Marrone

The former NFL coach has old ties to Tennessee, and he has been a name we've heard on a frequent basis. I think there are several question marks around him personally, with one being how would his staff look. I would also want to know how he can recruit at the college ranks. Marrone is certainly an in-play candidate for the Vols, though. In fact, he appears to be in their top group.

Gus Malzahn

Malzahn isn’t the flashy choice, but he could be the stabilizing choice. He was successful at Auburn, but he was never able to get them to the top. Malzahn’s offense would certainly be something different in Knoxville, and he would have pieces to work with. Could he build a support staff around him? I am not sure that he is a viable candidate for the Volunteers administration at this point, but names have dwindled over the week, earning Malzahn a spot on our list, although, the hiring of Kevin Steele certainly complicates things.

Hugh Freeze

Freeze is the winner of the popular vote from the Tennessee fan base without a doubt, but is he the choice? He seems like the obvious choice if you’re looking for immediate success. It is the only job offer he is interested in entertaining, we can confidently say that. Tennessee is fresh off a rigorous investigation that ultimately left them without a coach, so could Freeze's baggage hinder his run at the position?

Jamey Chadwell

Coastal Carolina has been a media darling this fall, and Chadwell hails from the Volunteer State. His team finished 11-1 and passed every test during a tough COVID season. Is that enough for Tennessee to take a leap at him? Maybe. Chadwell's name has been mentioned routinely in Knoxville over the last couple of weeks. There is concern over his lack of experience around a program the size of Tennessee's. Chadwell does have some smoke around him behind the scenes at this point.

Lane Kiffin

We know the fan base is split on Kiffin because of his former transgressions, but times heals wounds, right? We think so. We’ve been told that Kiffin has interest in the job, but can he get enough support? His offense would thrive with several of the skill pieces Tennessee has, and he continues to grow as a head coach. Will Tennessee take another chance? If so, there will likely be something in the contract holding him more liable than before. He is the one that seemingly gets blamed for sending the program into the downward spiral, so maybe he wants to right his wrongs. The Vols will have to pony up plenty of money for Kiffin, if they chose the route, which makes him seem more like an unlikely candidate. However, he could still be an option. Kiffin's latest contract extension could prove important here.

Billy Napier

Much like Chadwell, the Louisiana Head Coach has been a media darling this fall. He won during a year that many did not, so he will likely get some consideration, but how much is yet to be determined. Napier feels like an obvious choice, but he has turned away jobs with more appeal than Tennessee, so who is to say he will leave Louisiana.

Jim Caldwell

If Tennessee desires to go with an NFL presence, Caldwell's time with Peyton Manning would certainly help him out. He won at each stop and even left Detroit with a winning record. He has been key in the turnaround at Miami and bringing him on in Knoxville is interesting to say the least. It would be likely that Manning would be more involved with the program if this happened.

Tom Herman

Herman did not live up to the billing at Texas but he could be the ideal coach for Tennessee, if they are looking for an offensive mind that has had success at various stops and knows how to recruit effectively. He has interest in the job from what I have just been told.

This is likely not the only coaching search hot board we will release over the coming days, unless Tennessee moves swiftly. Kevin Steele is obviously a name in play, but I have not heard anything to suggest that would be the long-term move for Tennessee, yet. It very well could end up happening. He is in a solid place to make a move for the job, but will he?