After a much publicized fan revolt across social media in initially hiring current Ohio State Buckeyes defensive coordinator Greg Schiano and missing out on the likes of Jay Gruden, Jeff Brohm of Purdue and Mike Leach of Washington State, the maligned Tennessee Volunteers search for their next head coach could be a former Vol from their once storied past in USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin.
Martin, who backed up Peyton Manning and led Tennessee to the first-ever BCS national title back in 1998 over Florida State, has quietly emerged into one of the hottest college coaching names thanks to being the brains being newly-crowned PAC-12 champion USC and projected top five pick in the upcoming 2018 NFL Draft in Sam Darnold.
Besides his connections to Knoxville and the need for a fresh new face in the SEC, here are my three reasons why Martin needs to be the man to lead the Vols.
The Hire of Phil Fulmer: Martin’s former head coach while at Tennessee, the former Vols head man, returned to his alma mater as newly named athletic director on a 2-year deal. Both men know each other and what makes the other tick, a Fulmer-Martin reunion on Rocky Top could be just what the doctor ordered for UT.
A Fresh Offensive Approach: Let’s face it, Tennessee is considered an also-ran I. Today’s modern spread-shotgun zone/read college style of ball. Under Martin, USC has had one of college football’s most explosive and exciting offenses. One can only imagine what kind of up-tempo West Coast style of vertical passing, along with the trademark SEC speed and athleticism that Martin would bring with him from Los Angeles.
SEC Needs More Black Head Coaches And Diversity: With the recent dismissal of the conference’s lone African-American head coach in Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M, the SEC lacks any kind of diversity in the form of coaching.
Long maligned for having far too few black head coaches, Martin would not only fulfill that slot, but also become the face of one of the South’s most storied and revered football names and brands.