Tennessee Football announced Jeremy Pruitt is fired as head coach, meaning it is now searching for the next Tennessee head coach. So who are the top candidates to replace Jeremy Pruitt as the Volunteers head coach? We’ve got the top Tennessee targets and some realistic options.
Jeremy Pruitt’s firing would have been costly, but Tennessee is firing him with cause as part of the current NCAA investigation. That saves the Vols money, but also makes their job less attractive. However, Peyton Manning is apparently going to be a key part of this search. Could former NFL head coach Jeff Fisher or current Raiders TE Jason Witten get a shot?
There are some big names Tennessee could hire, like Tomy Herman, Gus Malzahn and Hugh Freeze, but just how attractive is the Vols Head Coach job right now? Would the top coach candidates want the Tennessee job at the moment given the NCAA investigation right now at Rocky Top?
There are some big names Illinois could hire, like Luke Fickell, but just how attractive is the Illinois job right now? Would the top coach candidates want to take the Fighting Illini head coaching job?
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Proven coaches should be high on Tennessee’s head coach candidate list and there are several who make sense. They are at smaller schools, but Billy Napier has done a fantastic job at Louisiana, while Jamey Chadwell and Luke Fickell have built up programs at Coastal Carolina and Cincinnati.
Tennessee Football could go with a coordinator hire, and two in particular makes sense: Clemson OC Tony Elliott and current DC/Interim HC Kevin Steele. The Steele fit is awkward but could be a stop-gap option.
Hugh Freeze has been linked to the job, which makes sense given his ties to the state and success at Ole Miss. But he was fired at Ole Miss for various issues; can the Vols bring him in given their current NCAA issues?
Here’s the full Top 10 Candidates List:
#10 Jason Witten, Raiders TE
#9 Jeff Fisher, Former Rams/Titans HC
#8 Luke Fickell, Cincinnati HC
#7 Tony Elliott, Clemson OC
#6 Kevin Steele, Tennessee DC
#5 Billy Napier, Louisiana HC
#4 Jamey Chadwell, CCU HC
#3 Gus Malzahn, Auburn HC
#2 Hugh Freeze, Liberty HC
#1 Tom Herman, Texas HC
FOLLOW: Tom Downey is the Senior Writer & On-Air Host at Chat Sports. Please follow him on Twitter @Whatgoingdowney.
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