With the SEC football season just a few months away, here’s a look at how the conference’s coaches rank in 2016.
Bio: Butch Jones took over at Tennessee after a successful 3-year tenure at Cincinnati. Jones led the Bearcats to a 23-14 (12-9 Big East) record, which included two shared Big East Conference titles in 2011 and 2012.
Jones has since gone 21-17 (10-14 SEC) at Tennessee and has improved his record in each season since 2013. The Vols went 9-4 (5-3) in 2015 and ranked second in the SEC East, their best finish since 2007.
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
|---|---|
| 1987–1989 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (intern) |
| 1990–1992 | Rutgers (GA) |
| 1993–1994 | Wilkes (OC) |
| 1995 | Ferris State (RB) |
| 1996–1997 | Ferris State (OC) |
| 1998 | Central Michigan (TE) |
| 1999 | Central Michigan (WR) |
| 2000 | Central Michigan (RB) |
| 2001–2003 | Central Michigan (OC) |
| 2004 | Central Michigan (RB) |
| 2005–2006 | West Virginia (WR) |
| 2007–2009 | Central Michigan |
| 2010–2012 | Cincinnati |
| 2013–present | Tennessee |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 71–44 |
| Bowls | 3–2 |
| StatisticsCollege Football Data Warehouse | |
Reason for ranking: There’s no denying how much Tennessee’s program has improved since Jones’ arrival. But Jones’ coaching flaws cost the Vols an SEC East division title in 3015. As a recruiter, though, Jones managed to sign two top-10 recruiting classes in 2013 and 2014.
However, last season exposed Jones’ negligence in late-game management. Tennessee lost its first three games after blowing 14-point leads, including two in the fourth quarter. The Vols switched to a conservative scheme in each loss, as if they were playing “not to lose”rather than beat their opponents.
This losing streak included losses to Florida and Arkansas, which was the deciding factor in Jones ranking behind Jim McElwain and Bret Bielema, who will appear on our list very soon. However, Jones is capable of improving his ranking next season should the Vols continue the momentum of their six-game winning streak and live up to preseason expectations.
2016 Schedule:
| Date | Opponent | |||
| Saturday Sep. 3 |
 |
Appalachian State Mountaineers Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Sep. 10 |
 |
Virginia Tech Hokies Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, TN |
||
| Saturday Sep. 17 |
 |
Ohio Bobcats Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Sep. 24 |
 |
Florida Gators Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Oct. 1 |
 |
at Georgia Bulldogs Sanford Stadium, Athens, GA |
||
| Saturday Oct. 8 |
 |
at Texas A&M Aggies Kyle Field, College Station, TX |
||
| Saturday Oct. 15 |
 |
Alabama Crimson Tide Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Oct. 22 |
— | Open | ||
| Saturday Oct. 29 |
 |
at South Carolina Gamecocks Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, SC |
||
| Saturday Nov. 5 |
 |
Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Nov. 12 |
 |
Kentucky Wildcats Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Nov. 19 |
 |
Missouri Tigers Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN |
||
| Saturday Nov. 26 |
 |
at Vanderbilt Commodores Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, TN |
||
| Saturday Dec. 3 |
 |
SEC Championship Game Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA |
||
2016 Outlook: Here’s the thing: Jones is ranked eighth based on the job he’s done thus far. However, if Tennessee can live up to its expectations as the favorite to win the SEC East, he will dramatically improve his ranking in 2017.
Tennessee returns the majority of its starting lineup on both sides of the football. Joshua Dobbs is the second-best returning SEC quarterback after Ole Miss’ Chad Kelly and should take more chances downfield after being limited to short passes and option plays. Junior tailback Jalen Hurd is 892 yards shy of tying Travis Henry’s school rushing record after recording 899 as a freshman and 1,288 as a sophomore.
Tennessee’s defense returns seniors Jalen Reeves-Maybin — who led the team with 105 tackles — and Cameron Sutton, as well as leading pass rusher Derek Barnett. Barnett recorded 10 sacks in each of his first two seasons and is 12 shy of tying Reggie White’s school record of 32 career sacks.
This is it for Jones. No more mantras or excuses. If he can’t win with this team it’s all on him.
Tennessee is loaded with talent and finally has both the experience and depth to contend for an SEC Championship. But it all starts with coaching and Jones needs to prove that he’s worth his offseason raise for the Vols to make the leap into contention.
The post SEC coaching rankings: No. 8 Butch Jones appeared first on Today's "U".