Nick Stephens leaves team

STEPHENS LEAVES TEAM; SIMMS, BRAY MOVE TO FRONT

Senior quarterback Nick Stephens informed Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley on Thursday that he is leaving the team.

“In light of the way the first eight practices have gone and some of the competition we’ve created, he doesn’t want to be here and risk not playing his senior year,” Dooley said. “Nick is in his fifth year and has been trying to get on the field his whole career. He just felt it was too risky to go through another season, because he just wants to play.

“We hate to lose Nick but I certainly understand it. It’s a fifth-year quarterback who hasn’t played. You go play football to play, and I understand the emotion of it.”

That leaves Matt Simms or Tyler Bray, both of whom joined the Vols at the start of this semester, as the likely starter come September. Simms is a junior from Franklin Lakes, N.J., by way of El Camino (Calif.) Community College, and Bray is a true freshman from Kingsburg, Calif.

“We’ll give Matt and Tyler more reps,” Dooley said. “From that standpoint, they are going to get more opportunity and a better chance to show what they can do.”

VOLS NAME PENDERGRASS DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

Tennessee head coach Derek Dooley announced Thursday that Brad Pendergrass is returning to Knoxville as UT’s director of football operations.

Pendergrass held the same position last year at Wisconsin after a five-year stint at Mississippi State. His first full-time position, however, was at Tennessee with his alma mater.

“I am extremely excited to begin working with Coach Dooley, our coaching staff, players and administration,” Pendergrass said. “The University of Tennessee is a leader in collegiate athletics in every area, and the opportunity to again be associated with this football program is something I couldn’t pass up.

“It is very humbling to be able to come back and work with the great people in this building and on this campus. Coach Dooley has a comprehensive plan for our path to success and championships, and I look forward to assisting in any way possible.”

Pendergrass, 33, is reuniting with David Blackburn, Tennessee’s senior associate athletics director for administration and football operations. Pendergrass worked under Blackburn during his previous tenure in Knoxville, and Dooley says teaming those two up once again was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

“We are thrilled to have Brad join our staff and glad he is coming back to UT,” Dooley said. “Brad has shown the ability to handle all aspects of a major college football program. He learned well under David Blackburn here in the ‘90s and has paid his dues under a trio of excellent football coaches.

“And we’re certainly excited to still have David on board as our senior administrator. Together, the two of them will make a great team.”

Pendergrass made the move to Wisconsin one year ago as the Badgers’ director of football operations under head coach Bret Bielema. Pendergrass handled the team’s administrative operations, including budget management, travel and non-conference scheduling.

At Mississippi State, he spent his first three years on Sylvester Croom’s staff as assistant to the head coach. Pendergrass was named coordinator of football operations in 2007, and then was promoted prior to the 2008 season to assistant AD for football operations. In that latter role, Pendergrass was part of the athletics director’s senior staff and served as staff liaison to the Southeastern Conference.

Pendergrass spent 10 seasons with the Vols under former head coach Phillip Fulmer — rising from student manager, to graduate assistant for the coaching staff, to graduate assistant in football operations and later to full-time recruiting assistant.

A native of Huntingdon, Pendergrass received his bachelor’s degree in business/marketing from UT in 1998. He earned a master’s in human performance and sports studies, with a concentration in sport administration, in 2001.