A former Tennessee Vols standout from the Phillip Fulmer era has reportedly landed a head coaching job.

According to a report from Main Street Preps, James Lawson High School in Nashville has hired former Vols running back Montario Hardesty as the program’s new head football coach.

“I am truly thankful for this opportunity to lead young men as they develop into winners on and off the field,” said Hardesty in a press release. “Thank you to (Principal Stephen) Sheaffer (and athletic director) Pete Froedden for entrusting me with this leadership role. We want to be a beacon of light for our community. Go Lightning!”

Hardesty, who played at Tennessee from 2005 to 2009 (he played under Lane Kiffin during his final season at UT), most recently served as the offensive coordinator on former Vol Jay Graham’s coaching staff at Centennial High School.

From 2021 to 2023, Hardesty was the South Carolina Gamecocks’ running backs coach. He also spent time as the wide receivers coach at UNC Charlotte and as a quality control assistant at Tennessee in 2018 under Jeremy Pruitt.

Hardesty spent four seasons as a player in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, rushing for 537 yards and one touchdown.

What Montario Hardesty said about playing for Lane Kiffin

Hardesty’s best season at Tennessee came in 2009 under Kiffin when he rushed for 1,345 yards and 13 touchdowns.

The North Carolina native spoke last fall about playing for Kiffin.

“Coach Kiffin is one of my favorite coaches,” said Hardesty on Raw Room. “Just because, as a player, how he kind of helped my career excel. But then also as a coach, he gave me one of my first opportunities. My first coaching opportunity was a small Division II school…Coach (Kiffin), when he was at FAU, actually gave me the opportunity to come to FAU. So, man, Coach Kiffin is one of my favorite guys. He’s a great coach. He was a great motivator for me. Y’all know LK, he’s got that swag. Y’all see him at Ole Miss. The best thing that he knows how to do is he brings that (swag) to his players.

“Just the way that he’s able to instill that confidence in his players,” continued Hardesty. “He’s a great offensive mind. But I just love the way he’s able to instill that confidence in you. And he builds great relationships in a different way than some coaches do. He’s not super rah rah, but he’s just a really good coach, as far as instilling that confidence in you and then making the whole team believe in the goal.”

Hardesty worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach under Kiffin at Florida Atlantic in 2017.