Where 247Sports ranks the Tennessee Vols coaching job
The Tennessee Vols haven't finished a season ranked inside the top 10 since 2001 when Phillip Fulmer led the program to an 11-2 record and a final ranking of No. 4. In the 20 years since that season, Tennessee has only finished in the top 25 on six occasions. Not exactly a program on the […]
The Tennessee Vols haven't finished a season ranked inside the top 10 since 2001 when Phillip Fulmer led the program to an 11-2 record and a final ranking of No. 4.
In the 20 years since that season, Tennessee has only finished in the top 25 on six occasions.
Not exactly a program on the cusp of national dominance.
But despite the lack of success over the last 20 years, 247Sports still believes the Tennessee job is one of the 25 best jobs in college football.
In 247Sports' recent rankings of the top 25 jobs in college football, the Vols job ranked No. 19.
Here's what 247Sports had to say about the UT job:
Tennessee used to be a top 10 job, but a myriad of issues have now made Knoxville a considerably difficult place to find success. With potential NCAA sanctions coming down the pipe stemming from the Jeremy Pruitt fallout, first-year coach Josh Heupel has his work cut out for him and he knows. The 'Block T' no longer holds the same value outside of the program on the recruiting trail either since the current high-end prospects never were able to witness the wonder years of Vols Football. It feels so long ago the program was once nationally-relevant and a big-game staple on Saturdays.
I'm sure there are some fans who feel like the Vol job should be ranked higher. And maybe in the future it will be. But for now, this feels about right.
Tennessee needs a coach — preferably Josh Heupel — to have some moderate success to prove that the program can finish with a winning record on a yearly basis. The Vols aren't going to return to the top 10 until that happens.
However, success on the field isn't the only thing that defines a good job. Tennessee has incredible facilities, unmatched tradition, and a tremendous fan base.
UT is just a few winning seasons away from returning to national relevance. When that happens, this will once again be one of the top 10 jobs in college football.
Featured image via Gary Cosby Jr. via Imagn Content Services, LLC
