When Phillip Fulmer took over as Tennessee’s athletic director last Friday, the Vols didn’t just hit the reset button on their coaching search, they mashed it a good one. Suddenly, we went from lists that included scores and scores of names and media outlets that all said something different to most media members reporting the same smaller handful of names. Maybe the chef has assumed sole command the kitchen so he could cook up something palatable to the starving masses.
Word is that Fulmer is wanting to make a decision by the end of the day today. If that’s true, we should know something soon after that, perhaps by Thursday. For now, though, let’s compare the short resumes of the guys that appear to be in the running and see how everything looks when you’re not focusing on their names.
Coach 1
- Head coach, second-level program for three years
- Coordinator, top-level program for four years before that
S&P+ as head coach
- 2017: 60 (8/93)
- 2016: 90 (72/126)
- 2015: 103 (63/74)
S&P+ as coordinator
- 2014: 76
- 2013: 12
- 2012: 14
- 2011: 25
Recruiter Rankings
- 2017 (head coach, second-level): Not in the Top 500
- 2016 (head coach, second-level): Not in the Top 500
- 2015 (head coach, second-level): 427
- 2014 (coordinator, top-level): 75
- 2013 (coordinator, top-level): 76
Coach 2
- Head coach, top-level program for 11 years
S&P+ as head coach
- 2016: 4 (22/3)
- 2015: 11 (14/28)
- 2014: 20 (58/9)
- 2013: 13 (14/28)
- 2012: 11 (36/7)
- 2011: 1 (13/2)
- 2010: 15 (42/3)
- 2009: 12 (37/9)
- 2008: 24 (28/34)
- 2007: 2 (13/3)
- 2006: 5 (12/6)
- 2005: 9 (29/10)
Recruiter Rankings
- Not in the Top 500 for any year on record
Coach 3
- Coordinator, two top-level programs for three years
S&P+ as coordinator
- 2017: 5
- 2016: 9
- 2015: 28
Recruiter Rankings
- 2017: 453
- 2016: 267
- 2015: N/A
Coach 4
- Coordinator, two top-level programs for three years
S&P+ as coordinator
- 2017: 8
- 2016: 35
- 2015: 1
Recruiter Rankings
- 2017: 20
- 2016: 18
- 2015: N/A
Coach 5
- Coordinator, three top-level programs for five years
S&P+ as coordinator
- 2017: 3
- 2016: 1
- 2015: 11
- 2014: 16
- 2015: 7
Recruiter Rankings
- 2017: 149
- 2016: 71
- 2015: 37
- 2014: 36
- 2013: 1
Coach 6
- Coordinator, one top-level program for six years
S&P+ as coordinator
- 2017: 2
- 2016: 6
- 2015: 6
- 2014: 1
- 2015: 41
- 2014: 62
Recruiter Rankings
- 2017: 40
- 2016: 6
- 2015: 35
- 2014: 227
- 2013: 44
Coach 7
- Coordinator, one top-level program for two years
S&P+ as coordinator
- 2017: 15
- 2016: 12
Recruiter Rankings as coordinator
- 2017: 11
- 2016: 1
Recruiter Rankings as position coach
- 2015: 2
- 2014: 2
- 2013: 92
My Results
Just going off these numbers, as much as I can do so blindly after having done the research, here’s the way I think I’d rank them:
- Coach 2 — Head coaching experience at a major program over an extended period with excellent overall results. Not listed as a recruiter anywhere, but presumably his staff could recruit.
- Coach 5 – Five years as a coordinator, and excelled all five years. Did it at three different programs, so it’s not a fluke. Also a solid recruiter.
- Coach 6 – This guy is basically the same as Coach 5, except he’s only done it at one place.
- Coach 4 – A coordinator at two major programs with excellent numbers and elite recruiting to boot.
- Coach 7 – Basically Coach 4 with one year less experience, but arguably with even more promise, both in stats and recruiting ability.
- Coach 3 – This guy is Coach 4, but with worse recruiting.
- Coach 1 – Head coaching experience at a second-tier program after four years as a major program coordinator. As a coordinator, he looked much like the other coordinators on the list, but recruiting wasn’t elite. As a head coach, he has decent numbers on one side of the ball in his third year, but not on the other.
That’s how I’d rank them at this time. What do y’all think?
Here’s the key:
- Coach 1: SMU head coach Chad Morris (formerly OC of Clemson)
- Coach 2: Former LSU head coach Les Miles
- Coach 3: Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele (formerly DC of LSU)
- Coach 4: Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker (formerly DC of Alabama)
- Coach 5: Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt (formerly DC of Georgia and FSU)
- Coach 6: Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables
- Coach 7: USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin