It’s taken two decades, but it looks like Tee Martin is finally returning “home.”
According to a report from Chris Low of ESPN after 1:00 AM Tuesday morning, Martin has agreed to a deal with Tennessee to join Jeremy Pruitt’s staff for 2019. Contract details haven’t been released yet, nor has Martin’s role. But barring any sort of last minute hitch, Martin will be back in Knoxville for the upcoming season.
Low’s report states that an announcement from UT could come as soon as Tuesday. He also reports that Martin received interest from Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, Maryland, and Vanderbilt before ultimately accepting the job at Tennessee.
Tennessee’s contract with Tee will likely be more backloaded because Martin is still getting paid by USC for the next two years after he was let go early from there. He, along with most of USC’s coaching staff under head coach Clay Helton, was fired from his position this past offseason as offensive coordinator.
Martin had been at USC since 2012 and served in various roles there. He joined originally as their wide receivers coach in 2012 and added on the passing game coordinator role in 2014. He was then promoted to offensive coordinator in 2016. Before his time at USC, he served as WRs coach and passing game coordinator for Kentucky from 2010-11 and was a quarterbacks coach at New Mexico in 2009.
Martin, of course, was the starting quarterback for the Vols during their undefeated 1998 National Championship season, throwing for 19 touchdowns and just six interceptions that season as Tennessee went 13-0 and won the first ever BCS National Championship.
According to the 247Sports database, Martin has been the primary or secondary recruiter for 11 five-stars and over two dozen four-stars over the last decade. He was named Recruiter of the Year by 247Sports in 2016 and was named Recruiter of the Year by the Pac-12 in 2014. He was also a semifinalist for the Broyles Award — the award given annually for the top assistant in college football — in 2017.
With Martin joining the Vols, that likely means there will be more movement to come on UT’s staff. We will update as that information becomes available.
