The Tennessee Vols coaching search is redirecting after the Greg Schiano debacle which dominated headlines on Sunday.
Schiano was reportedly finalizing a deal to become the next head coach in Knoxville, before the news was met with backlash like we have never seen before. Ultimately, Schiano’s offer was pulled and the coaching search continued.
If the entire situation wasn’t bizarre enough, things reached a new level on Monday morning when Clay Travis of Outkick the Coverage dropped some eyebrow-raising news when he reported Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten could also be in the mix.
According to Travis, Witten is frustrated with the direction the Vols football program has been going in recent years and he would be willing to leave the Cowboys to take over as head coach. Seriously.
From the report:
Outkick has learned that current Dallas Cowboy tight end Jason Witten, frustrated by the decline of the program over the past decade and intending to pursue a career in coaching in the near future, has the support of several prominent boosters to take over as the next Tennessee football coach.
How serious is Witten about his desire to make Tennessee football great again? I’m told that he would leave the Dallas Cowboys before the season is over to take the Tennessee coaching job if it were offered to him. I’m told Witten has made that willingness known to athletic director John Currie as well.
The plan with Witten, a 35 year old first ballot hall of famer nearing the end of his NFL career, would be to surround him with top coaching talent with substantial connections to Tennessee.
At this point, why not?
After how everything went down on Sunday, it’s unlikely the Vols will attract a high-profile candidate. So if they could lure a future Pro Football Hall of Famer who loves the program to the sidelines with the support of boosters and fans, it could be a program defining moment that sets Tennessee up for future success or even more failure.
One thing is for certain: The Vols definitely know how to bring the drama.
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