Now that Mike Gundy has turned down the Vols for the second time in five years, the Vols are still looking for their next head football coach. And according to one national writer, Tennessee has reached out to two younger coaches now.
According to Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports, Tennessee has reached out to Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm and N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren to gauge their interest. Feldman says both those coaches are “likely more viable options” and also says USC offensive coordinator and former National Championship-winning UT quarterback Tee Martin could be as well. But Feldman doesn’t say whether or not the Vols have contacted Martin. He does say “we’ve been told (Martin) is in play for this job,” however.
Brohm, 46, just wrapped up his first season as Purdue’s head coach. He got the Boilermakers to a 6-6 record and helped them earn their first bowl berth since 2012. Before Purdue, he coached at Western Kentucky and coached them to a 30-10 record. Brohm also played quarterback for the Louisville Cardinals from 1989-93 and played in both the NFL and XFL.
Doeren, 45, has coached at both Northern Illinois and N.C. State. He led Northern Illinois to a 12-1 record and Orange Bowl berth in his second and final season with them before taking over at N.C. State prior to the 2013 season. He hasn’t found that same success with the Wolfpack, however, and he’s yet to win more than eight games in a season with N.C. State. His best season was this year, finishing 8-4 and 6-2 in ACC play, placing second in the Atlantic division.
Would Brohm leave Purdue after just one season? And has Doeren done enough as a head coach at a Power Five school to excite Vol fans? Those are questions that would need to be answered before either could become Tennessee’s head coach.
Martin, of course, is someone Vol fans already know. He quarterbacked the Vols to a national title in 1998 and has had success as USC’s offensive coordinator the last two years.
Feldman ends his article by saying Tennessee will not interview SMU head coach Chad Morris despite other reports claiming they will.
