Vols OC Joey Halzle has a unique connection to the Phillip Fulmer era at Tennessee
Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle is from California and spent the first decade of his college football career (playing and coaching) at Oklahoma. It's safe to say that Knoxville was a new experience for the assistant coach when he arrived at UT in early 2021. But while it's a new experience, it's not […]
Tennessee Vols offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle is from California and spent the first decade of his college football career (playing and coaching) at Oklahoma.
It's safe to say that Knoxville was a new experience for the assistant coach when he arrived at UT in early 2021.
But while it's a new experience, it's not like Tennessee was foreign to Halzle. In fact, the California native has a unique connection to the Vols and the Phillip Fulmer era.
Halzle pointed out during a recent interview (via On3) that he's known the Clausen family for 20 years.
Casey Clausen played quarterback at Tennessee from 2000 to 2003. Casey's younger brother, Rick, played at UT from 2003 to 2005 (Rick initially played at LSU under Nick Saban before transferring).
Halzle revealed that he went to high school with Casey and Rick's sister, Katie.
“I’ve known them since, what, shoot 2003. So, (I’ve) known the family,” said Halzle. “Now, Casey and Rick were gone for a good part of that, you know, doing their whole thing in College, and Casey, he was taking a shot at the NFL and doing all that type of stuff. But his sister Katie was my age. So we went through our entire high school experience. So I know the Clausen’s really, really, well. Known them since 2023, 20 years now.”
Maybe it was destiny that Halzle ended up on Rocky Top. Who knew that a couple of families from California would end up making Tennessee such a big part of their lives? Despite its ever-expanding reach, college football can be a small world.
