Now a few days into the search for Tennessee’s new offensive coordinator, we’re starting to get a little bit better of an idea of what Butch Jones is looking for in his search to replace Mike DeBord, who left for Indiana earlier this week.
Based on a conference call with Jones on Tuesday, we do know these things:
- Jones is looking for somebody to “enhance” the offense, not change it
- He’s looking at all levels – NFL and collegiate
- He’s looking into internal and external candidates
- He wants somebody who can develop quarterbacks
- There’s no timetable on making the hire
It’s also important to remember that there could be several moving pieces in play here.
Offensive line coach Don Mahoney has an expiring contract, and Jones hasn’t announced what will happen with that yet. So Jones has some flexibility in terms of his options to structure the staff. He could bring in a coordinator who is also a quarterbacks coach. He could promote somebody from the offensive staff to OC, then bring in a separate QBs coach. He could even name co-coordinators. This might not be as a simple as naming an OC and calling it a day.
So with all that in mind, here are some of the key figures that have been included in reports or have ties to Jones in some way.
