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SEC Head Coach Evaluation: Tennessee Volunteers’ Butch Jones

By John Richardson

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Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

The Case For . . .

Jones is only 12-13 since arriving at Tennessee, but delivered the school’s first winning record (7-6) in 2014 since Lane Kiffin’s “banner year” in 2009 (also 7-6).

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    • This coming from a team that averaged slightly better than 10 wins a SEASON during the 90’s, with the lowest win total (8) coming in 1994.  Still, why does this go in the pro’s bracket?

    The fact that Butch Jones was able to achieve a winning record in only year two with the talent, and I use that term loosely, left him by Derek Dooley has to be considered a positive.

    And it is not like the 2014 Volunteers failed to capitalize on a forgiving schedule.  Quite the opposite, as they maximized their opportunities.  Aside from a loss at Florida, all of Tennessee’s losses came to teams ranked #19 or higher in the AP Poll rankings at the time they played.

    In his two seasons as Tennessee’s coach, the Volunteers have played 25 games.  Of those 25, 13 have been against ranked opponents.  I say again:  even reaching a winning record in year two is a huge plus for Butch Jones.

    One way Butch Jones has done this is he and his staff have worked tirelessly to boost Tennessee’s recruiting efforts.  For the first time in school history, Jones was able to secure  consensus top 5 recruiting classes consecutively.  Anytime you are able to accomplish a first at a place like Tennessee, you are either doing something impressively right or incredibly wrong.

    While these recruits have not elevated his winning percentage at Tennessee (yet), Jones is accustomed to building winning programs.

    In eight seasons as a head coach, Jones was won the Big East title (twice) and Mid-American title (twice).  He won all four of those conference crowns in a six year span.  Accounting for a change in jobs after his second MAC title makes his run even more impressive.  While winning the Mid-American and now-defunct Big East conference titles is not akin to winning the SEC, it is important.

    Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

    The reason it matters is simple.  While the competition was not as great, one would expect a future (potentially great) Tennessee coach to dominate lesser competition before joining the SEC.

    Butch Jones has also recruited and produced NFL talent in each of his stops (more on that in the extra points section).  He has produced a Pro Bowl receiver and a top overall draft pick.  Accomplishing this with less heralded recruiting classes before arriving at UT, one has to give Jones the benefit of the doubt on his recruit analysis.

    Butch Jones recruits like a maniac and wins the games he is supposed to.  While his story is still short on signature wins*, Jones seems to be taking the right steps to awakening a sleeping giant in Knoxville.

    But what are his faults?  What areas has he fallen short in?

    *To this point, his two wins against South Carolina are most likely his signature wins.  In season one he delivered the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2009.  In season two the Vols overcame a 14 point deficit with less than two minutes remaining.

    Next: Is There a Downside to Butch?

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