TnTech_Vol
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Earlier this week, Tennessees Butch Jones walked into the teams training room. A small group of players didnt notice the head coachs entrance, and Jones overheard one of the Volunteers reminding teammates not to be late for a team meeting later that day.
That might not sound like much, Jones said, but to him it was a gratifying illustration of progress. Thats the nature of a rebuild: the small things, like that scene in the training room, eventually accumulate to become one big shift in attitude and culture.
We make strides each and every day, said Jones, whose infectious and consistent positivity has been central to those strides.
Jones, the 45-year-old whom UT hired from Cincinnati, has instituted all sorts of inspirational actions and rhetoric, but perhaps none more resounding than the brick-by-brick mantra. He has even gone so far as to reward players with actual bricks, to drive home the message.
No, the program Jones is working to construct at Tennessee isnt going up overnight. He has been careful with that message, noting that the players understand it's a grind to build. Jones also is conscious of that fact that its a universal sort of makeover, one that extends to the classroom, meeting rooms, weight room and beyond.
Maybe its just because its Alabama week, but Jones even used Nick Sabans term process to describe the overall plan. But the football field, quite clearly, is where things will be measured and sometimes scrutinized.
Thats why getting a signature, hang-your-hat-on sort of win in Year 1 -- like last weeks victory over then-No. 11 South Carolina -- is crucially important for attitude adjustment.
Are we making progress? Yes, I definitely can see that, Jones told me Tuesday. Were generating momentum. I think around the country, they know theres an energy here. They know theres a buzz.
Tennessee leads our look at five programs in Year 1 of rebuilding projects. A couple of other SEC programs, a Pac-12 school and an ACC school are also included.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee tops list of five rebuilding programs - College Football - ESPN