Vols Football: Five Candidates To Consider If Tennessee Defensive Line Coach Steve Stripling Leaves
By Zach Ragan
The Tennessee Vols are continuing to experience a staff overhaul. More changes appear to be on the way.
Butch Jones and the Vols have made several coaching staff changes this off-season.
Tennessee has already hired a new offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and defensive backs coach.
A new offensive line coach is also rumored.
But the potential changes don’t stop there.
Rumors have abounded this off-season that Vols defensive line coach Steve Stripling could take an off-the-field role with the program.
Stripling has done a solid job as the Volunteers’ defensive line coach. So this isn’t necessarily a move that would be made because the job hasn’t been getting done.
Tennessee’s defensive line has performed well (just look at all-world defensive end Derek Barnett). It’s not like fans have been calling for Stripling’s job like they did for former defensive backs coach Willie Martinez or current offensive line coach Don Mahoney.
Stripling, however, has been coaching for nearly 40 years.
And maybe, at 63 years old, the daily grind and the recruiting trail is taking its toll.
Whatever the case may be, Vol fans should be prepared for a change to take place.
There’s one obvious replacement for Stripling, but we also know that things don’t always work out the way we think it will. Just look at what happened with the Volunteers’ offensive coordinator search.
With that in mind, here are five potential replacements for Stripling, if he does decide to step down as Tennessee’s defensive line coach.