Robert Gillespie
Position: Running backs
Age: 38
Salary: $515,000
Quick Bio:
2006-08: South Carolina – Running Backs
2000-10: Oklahoma State – Running Backs
2011-12: West Virginia – Running Backs
2013-14: Tennessee – Running Backs
2015-17: Tennessee – RBs/Recruiting Coordinator
Analysis: Gillespie was the one holdover from the Butch Jones era, and there’s good reason why. Gillespie was consistently the best developer of talent at Tennessee over the last five years, and he was a strong recruiter on top of that. Gillespie helped Rajion Neal run for 1,124 yards in 2013, the 13th-most in a single season in Tennessee history, and he helped coach Jalen Hurd to a 1,288 yard season in 2015. He also coached 2017 NFL Rookie of the Year Alvin Kamara and helped coach the Vols to their second-most rushing yards in school history in 2015 when the team ran for a total of 2,908 yards. Now John Kelly appears poised to be another draft pick that Gillespie has coached while at Tennessee.
Nathanael: A+
Will: A+
Charley: A+
