Vols back at practice

Tennessee returned from its Easter Break on Tuesday to find the heat turned up at Haslam Field.

“It was hot, so we had a little weather change and that gets tough,” head coach Derek Dooley said of temperatures in the mid-80s. “We had a great tempo the first half of practice and then it starts getting on you. You get tired and start finding reasons to quit, to not be disciplined.

“We tailed off a little down the stretch and we’ve got to work on that.”

Tennessee is practicing three consecutive days during the mid-week in preparation for Saturday’s second big scrimmage of spring practice.

“This will be our first back-to-back practices,” Dooley said. “We’re really limiting what we’re putting in now and our focus is on execution. It’s getting used to picking up the pace as far as knowing what to do, watching the film and getting ready for the next practice.”

Dooley said he’s gained quite a bit of knowledge from studying last Thursday’s scrimmage film.

“We got our first real evaluation of the personnel, and that’s good. You evaluate six practices and a scrimmage, and kind of put it all together, you can maybe anticipate what lies ahead the next two weeks. That’s what we did at every position.”

DOOLEYS HOST VOLS ANNUAL COACHING CLINIC

Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley and his father, coaching legend Vince Dooley, headline the featured guest speakers list for the 2010 Tennessee Football Coaching Clinic. This year’s three-day workshop begins Thursday afternoon and concludes with Saturday’s UT football scrimmage at Neyland Stadium.

Joining Tennessee’s first-year head coach and the former Georgia coaching icon is Greg McMahon, special teams coordinator for the Super Bowl-champion New Orleans Saints, and both the offensive and defensive coordinators from the Tennessee Titans, Mike Heimerdinger and Chuck Cecil.

In addition, Friday’s schedule showcases coaches from the Tennessee and Georgia high school ranks who claimed a combined five state championships this past season.

Clinic participants are invited to attend Thursday’s UT practice at Haslam Field, followed that night by chalk talk sessions by position. Members of the UT coaching staff — offensive line coach Harry Hiestand, defensive line coach Chuck Smith, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox – add to the speakers docket for what promises to be quite a weekend of football in Knoxville.

Vince Dooley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994 and ranks as one of the winningest coaches in NCAA history. He coached Georgia to the 1980 national championship and twice earned national coach of the year in addition to seven times being named SEC Coach of the Year.

Both Dooleys take their turns at the podium Friday, Derek to start the morning and Vince to conclude the afternoon.

Earlier that day, Heimerdinger and Cecil offer their instructional messages. Heimerdinger enters his third season as offensive coordinator since re-joining the Titans in 2008, and his eighth season overall with Tennessee at the offensive controls. Cecil in his 10th season on the Titans staff and his second as defensive coordinator, a role he assumed in February 2009.

McMahon closes the event just before Saturday’s scrimmage with reflections from the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV victory over Indianapolis. McMahon just concluded his fourth season working with the Saints special teams and third as coordinator.

Walk-up registration and payment is available during the clinic. For more information, contact the UT recruiting office at (865) 974-1247.