Former Vols defensive line coach and interim head coach Brady Hoke is headed to the NFL.
The Carolina Panthers announced that Hoke will join their staff as the defensive line coach. Alex Marvez of Sporting News was the first to report it.
Hoke was hired by Butch Jones to be Tennessee’s defensive line coach prior to the 2017 season. Once Jones was fired after Tennessee’s 50-17 loss to Missouri, Hoke assumed interim head coach duties. The Vols would lose to LSU and Vanderbilt under Hoke, giving him an 0-2 record as Tennessee’s head coach. He also dismissed star wide receiver Jauan Jennings during his time as interim head coach after Jennings posted a profanity-laced tirade on his Instagram.
Prior to coaching at Tennessee, Hoke served as the defensive coordinator for Oregon for a season. Before taking that position, Hoke was a head coach at three different schools over a 12 season span. He served as Ball State’s head coach from 2003-08, moved on to coach San Diego State from 2009-10, then became Michigan’s head coach in 2011 before being fired in 2014. He also served as Michigan’s defensive line coach from 1995-2002.
Hoke has never coached in the NFL, however.
Hoke becomes the latest former Butch Jones assistant to land a job after all but Robert Gillespie were let go this offseason. Hoke is the only one thus far to get a job in the NFL, however. Larry Scott recently accepted a job as Florida’s tight ends coach, and he joined Charleton Warren who is now the Gators’ defensive backs coach. Bob Shoop is now Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator, Tommy Thigpen is coaching linebackers at North Carolina, and Mike Canales is the offensive coordinator at UTEP.
Only former offensive line coach Walt Wells and wide receivers coach Kevin Beard have yet to find jobs. Jones himself hasn’t filled a new position either.
