8. Butch Jones get a raise, extension
The work Butch Jones did in helping rebuild a Tennessee program that had many cracks in its foundation didn’t go unnoticed in Knoxville, or around the nation. Jones, a Michigan native, was, accurately or not, linked to the pending opening at Michigan throughout the regular season with Brady Hoke on the hot seat all year. Not too long after Hoke was eventually fired, UT athletics director Dave Hart stepped up and essentially locked Jones down with a raise in the neighborhood of $600k per year and a two-year extension through the 2020 season. The total buyout increased for both parties, meaning that Jones and the Vols will, in all likelihood, be partnered for at least several more years.
