Tag Archives: Great Coordinator

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate D.J. Durkin

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate D.J. Durkin.

D.J. Durkin’s coaching experience (39 years old)

This is Durkin’s second season at Maryland, where he’s trying to turn around the Terrapins. He was 6-7 in his first season and is off to an okay start this year. He was 1-0 as the interim head coach at Florida. He was a graduate assistant at Bowling Green and Notre Dame before becoming a defensive assistant at BGSU in 2005-06. From 2007-09, he was a defensive assistant under Jim Harbaugh at Stanford and moved on to Florida where he coached linebackers and special teams from 2010-12 before taking over as defensive coordinator in 2013 and ’14. He was Michigan’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2015 under Harbaugh before getting his first head coaching opportunity.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: Great Coordinator (with some (mediocre, so far) Power 5 head coaching experience)

Why the Tennessee Vols might want D.J. Durkin

Yes, Durkin is an under-the-radar hire that may be down UT’s list, but he’s a great defensive mind who has done a good job as a head coach despite a 11-11 overall record. Maryland isn’t a bad job, but it was in disarray when he took over. He’s doing a good job recruiting there, too. He’s young, and he’s had a lot of experience in the SEC during his days at Florida. Several coaches would vouch for him, including Urban Meyer (who was his boss at Bowling Green), Harbaugh (boss at Stanford and Michigan) and Will Muschamp (like that matters). Another underrated-but-natural advantage is Durkin likely would bring bright, young innovative offensive coordinator Walt Bell with him. Bell is going to be a coaching star with an opportunity to be a head coach sooner rather than later. Bell is from Dickson, Tennessee, and went to MTSU. He’s done an incredible job as an offensive assistant at North Carolina, Arkansas State and now Maryland.

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want D.J. Durkin

Is he ready? There are definitely worse options out there, but the Tennessee fan base wanting a rock star wouldn’t be happy with the equivalent of a talented guy playing the club circuit. That’s what Durkin is right now. He may actually kill it at UT because he’s a good recruiter, a young guy who can relate to players, has a dynamic offensive coordinator and has a strong defensive acumen. But he’d have to handle the grumbling masses because he’s not Gruden or even Mullen for that matter. He also hasn’t managed his own program very long; this is only his second year. It’s a gamble.

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate Chad Morris

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate Chad Morris.

Chad Morris’ coaching experience (48 years old)

After a prolific run in the fertile grounds of Texas high school coaching, he got his big break as Tulsa’s offensive coordinator in 2010 where he began revolutionizing offenses as a Todd Graham disciple (much like Mike Norvell). From there, he made a name for himself as Dabo Swinney’s offensive coordinator at Clemson from 2011-14, helping to bring that program to the forefront of college football. He took over a downtrodden program at SMU, and the Mustangs will have a winning record this year. It’s been a long rebuild; he’s 13-21.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: Great Coordinator (with some (mediocre) Mid-Major head coaching experience)

Why the Tennessee Vols might want Chad Morris

You want instant offense? He’s an undervalued name out there who was once one of the hottest coordinator commodities in all of college football. He is great with the spread and has already performed wonders as the OC at a top-level school. It was only a matter of time before he built up SMU, but there’s a defined ceiling there. Can he ever make it higher in Dallas than winning the conference? You know he’d love the opportunity to excel at a top job. He’d need a premiere defensive coordinator, but his ties in Texas and in the Southeast would be a bonus in recruiting, and the Vols would definitely rejuvenate a stagnant offense.

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want Chad Morris

Again, this is a very realistic hire, but it seems that he would be further down the list. Morris is interested in this job, as well as openings at Ole Miss and the potential one at Arkansas. As a Texas A&M graduate, that’s a dream job, but will the Aggies dip that far down? For that matter, will the Vols? Morris would need to make a slam-dunk hire as a defensive coordinator, but he has ties to Clemson assistant and former UT player Marion Hobby, so that would be a possibility. Still, he has gone to Dallas and been a forgotten man for a bit. Vols fans would need years and wins to warm up to him. Do we have that kind of time?

 

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate Joe Moorhead

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate Joe Moorhead.

Joe Moorhead’s coaching experience (43 years old)

College assistant at Georgetown, Akron, UConn, and Penn State. Hired to be Nittany Lions offensive coordinator in 2016 after serving as Fordham head coach from 2012-15.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: Great Coordinator

Why the Tennessee Vols might want Joe Moorhead

He’s arguably the best offensive coordinator in college football. With the struggles Tee Martin has experienced this year at USC and with Brent Venables looking for an ideal scenario for his first coaching gig, if the Vols go in the direction of an assistant, why not Moorhead? UT’s fans likely would go crazy, but Moorhead has head coaching experience and can develop offenses and put up points.

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want Joe Moorhead

Tennessee needs somebody to galvanize its fan base and unify everybody, and this wouldn’t be it. Moorhead has zero experience coaching in the South and very little head coaching experience, period. He’s going to get a chance to be a head coach soon, but should that be in the SEC? Likely no, and he’d be way, way down the list.

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate Mike Bobo

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate Mike Bobo.

Mike Bobo’s coaching experience (43 years old)

This is Bobo’s third year as the head coach at Colorado State, where he inherited a good program from Jim McElwain. He’s just 20-17 in three years (as of November 13), but he has kept the offense humming along. Prior to taking that gig, he was the offensive coordinator at Georgia for eight years and was an assistant at his alma mater before that. He was also a quarterback coach at Jacksonville State. Of course, he was the starting quarterback for the Bulldogs in his playing days.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: Great Coordinator (but with some (mediocre) Mid-Major head coaching experience)

Why the Tennessee Vols might want Mike Bobo

Bobo is a pretty strong offensive mind who knows the ins and outs of the SEC. He’s a dynamic recruiter who had a ton of success luring elite players to Athens, and he developed them well once they got there. He wasn’t always known for his play-calling acumen, but his familiarity with the league would serve him well. He also has built a strong staff in Colorado that includes former Vol Terry Fair.

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want Mike Bobo

Georgia fans weren’t in love with him as an offensive coordinator, plus he played ball at one of your biggest rivals. Come ON! There’s an argument to be made the Rams have taken a minor step down since he took over for McElwain, and though there have been some strong showings, CSU isn’t consistent. What kind of staff would Bobo build in Knoxville? Plus, this is not the kind of hire that would unite ticked-off fans.

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate Lane Kiffin

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate Lane Kiffin. Really? Yes, really. (Well, kind of.)

Lane Kiffin coaching experience (42 years old)

He’s been a head coach for the Oakland Raiders and then — as we all know — in 2009 with the Tennessee Vols before bolting like a thief in the night to go to USC where he failed. He resurrected his career as Nick Saban’s offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa, and he’s tearing it up in his first season as Florida Atlantic’s head coach. Prior to taking over at Oakland, he was an assistant (including offensive coordinator) at USC, and also coached at Fresno State, Colorado State and with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Son of legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: Great Coordinator; Guru (offense); The Proven Winner, Level Four – Mid-Major Champion

Why the Tennessee Vols might want Lane Kiffin

He’s family, and you always forgive family, right? Haha. In all seriousness, though, Kiffin is an offensive genius who is good with Xs and Os, knows how to develop quarterbacks and score points. He was an immature mess the first time around with the Vols, but if he plays by the rules [huge if] and has some kind of maturity exit clause in his contract, there would be much, much worse hires. Still, there would be a lot of people — A LOT — who’d find it difficult to forgive and forget. One thing to remember is John Currie helped bring him in, though.

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want Lane Kiffin

Honestly, when it comes to Tennessee, Kiffin carries more baggage than Petrino. He left UT saddled and scrambling to avoid NCAA sanctions. He ran his mouth, recruited players who didn’t have staying power, replaced UT traditions with pictures of USC players and did a lot of immature things. Has he grown up? Can he follow the rules? Is he worth the gamble?

Tennessee Vols coaching candidate Greg Schiano

As Tennessee embarks on its fourth coaching search in ten years, here’s a quick look at Vols coaching candidate Greg Schiano.

Greg Schiano’s coaching experience (51 years old)

Schiano has a great mix of NFL and college coaching experience. He’s the current defensive coordinator at Ohio State. Prior to that, he’s been a head coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs and long-time coach at Rutgers (from 2001-11). Before that, he was a defensive coordinator at Miami, a defensive assistant at Penn State and was an NFL assistant with the Bears from 1996-98.

GRT taxonomy of college football coaches: Great Coordinator, Pro

Why the Tennessee Vols might want Greg Schiano

If you’re going to hire a top assistant who can talk to kids about what it takes to get to the League, he’s the guy. He’ll bring a hard-nosed, tough mentality that quite frankly was missing with the soft Vols during the Jones era. Schiano is a dark-horse good fit if he gets the right kind of staff in place. He’s proven he’s an exceptional recruiter, and at his highest points at Rutgers, had the Scarlet Knights as a national contender. But does he know the SEC?

Why the Tennessee Vols might not want Greg Schiano

He wouldn’t say no. This is an ideal situation for him to get back into a college head coaching role, but he hasn’t been a successful college and NFL coach consistently. Can he build the staff of recruiters it would take to coach at Tennessee? This would be a dicey hire that could work out.