Tennessee Vols: Chad Morris’ Staff At UT Would Be Incredible

If the Tennessee Vols decide to hire Chad Morris, they could potentially have a dream staff.

I’m at the point where I think the best option for the Tennessee Vols would be to hire SMU head coach Chad Morris.

Part of the reason I think Morris would be great at Tennessee is because I think he’d bring a great staff that has some Volunteer flavor to it.

Here’s what that staff could look like.

Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers — Jeff Scott

Scott is currently the co-offensive coordinator at Clemson. Obviously it isn’t a guarantee that he’d leave Clemson, but he currently makes “only” $500,000. I think it would be worth it for the Volunteers to increase his salary. It would be a bit of a promotion for him since he’d be the sole offensive coordinator.

Morris worked with Scott at Clemson from 2011-2014, so there is plenty of familiarity there.

Running backs/recruiting coordinator — Robert Gillespie

Gillespie has proved he’s one of the best running backs coaches and recruiters in college football. It would be extremely wise of Morris (or whoever takes the job) to retain Gillespie.

Quarterbacks coach — Joe Craddock

Craddock was a GA at Clemson when Morris was on staff. He made the jump to SMU with Morris in 2015 as the Mustangs’ offensive coordinator.

I don’t think he’d be a good fit as an offensive coordinator, but I do think he’d do well as a quarterbacks coach under Morris at Tennessee.

Craddock, an Alabama native, played college football at Middle Tennessee State.

Offensive line coach — Glen Elarbee

Sometimes you have to go outside of your coaching tree to land a good position coach.

The Vols desperately need a good offensive line coach, and I don’t think Morris is going to be able to poach Robbie Caldwell from Clemson.

But perhaps he could get Elarbee from Missouri.

Elarbee was quite successful with the Tigers this season, and he has some Tennessee roots (he also played college football at Middle Tennessee State. He was also a GA under Les Miles at LSU in 2007.

Special teams/tight ends — Shawn Slocum

Slocum was on Texas A&M’s staff in the early 1990’s when Morris went to school there (though Morris didn’t play football). There’s also a shared connection between the two with Todd Graham. Morris coached under Graham in 2010 at Tulsa. Slocum was on Graham’s staff at Arizona State from 2015-2017.

Defensive coordinator/linebackers — Kevin Steele

This would obviously make a lot of sense — if Tennessee can convince Steele to return to Knoxville.

Morris and Steele coached together at Clemson in 2011 (Steele is currently Auburn’s defensive coordinator and it’s unclear if Gus Malzahn will remain there).

It makes a lot of sense for Morris to bring Steele along if he gets the job at Tennessee.

Defensive ends/associate head coach — Marion Hobby

Here’s another that makes total sense. Hobby coached with Morris at Clemson — why wouldn’t he want to come home to Tennessee???

Hobby is currently the defensive line coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but there’s chatter that he’d be willing to return to Rocky Top with Morris.

Defensive tackles — Dan Brooks

Brooks retired from coaching after Clemson’s national championship win against Alabama last year, but there’s been talk that he’d come back to Tennessee with Morris.

I think that’s something that Vol fans would love — he coached at UT from 1994-2008.

Defensive backs — Michael Reed

If the Vols are going to be successful, they have to spend some cash on their coaching staff.

That’s why I’d go spend some money and steal Michael Reed from Clemson.

Reed would also be familiar with several of the assistant coaches on this staff, which is very important for continuity.