T.J Weist
Last Role: Interim head coach at UConn (2013)
The connection: Weist was the wide receivers coach under Jones at Cincinnati from 2010-12. He was rumored to have been a candidate to be on Jones’ first staff at UT, but that never materialized.
Pros: Weist and Jones have familiarity, and the veteran coach went on to become the offensive coordinator and eventually the interim head coach at his next stop at UConn. He was the offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky from 2000-06, so there’s the experience calling plays that would be helpful.
Cons/Questions: Though there are some connections, he’s definitely not a splash-type hire with a real familiar name. Most of his experience came at Western Kentucky, Cincinnati and UConn. He has minimal experience coaching and recruiting at the highest levels of college football and has virtually no SEC ties. He’s also been out of the game for a year. If Jones didn’t end up bringing him the first time, would it make sense for him to entrust him with this much power?
