KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones announced on Wednesday the addition of Kevin Beard as the Vols’ new wide receivers coach and Tony Sorrentino as an offensive quality control assistant.
Beard comes to Rocky Top after coaching stops at FIU, Georgia and Miami (Fla.). He joined the FIU staff as wide receivers coach on Dec. 5 after working as an offensive quality control (wide receivers) assistant at Georgia for the 2016 season. Beard served as Miami’s wide receivers coach in 2015 and was the Hurricanes’ assistant director of football operations in 2014.
Sorrentino joins the Vols after 13 years as a football coach, including the past four with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2016, he served as the assistant wide receivers coach after working as the team’s offensive quality control coach over the previous three seasons.
“We are really excited about the additions of Coach Beard and Coach Sorrentino,” said Jones. “Coach Beard is a young, energetic football coach that has championship pedigree from his college playing days. He will do a great job working with our receivers and be a huge asset on the recruiting trail. Coach Sorrentino comes to Knoxville after the last four years working with receivers such as Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s going to bring a high-level of expertise to our entire coaching staff.”
Kevin Beard | Wide Receivers Coach
In 2016, Beard worked with Georgia’s receivers and junior Isaiah McKenzie enjoyed a breakout season, leading the Bulldogs with 44 receptions, 633 yards and seven touchdowns.
Beard served as Miami’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator in 2015 and worked with current Vols offensive coordinator Larry Scott, who was the Hurricane’s interim for the team’s final six games. Under Beard’s direction, quarterback Brad Kaaya threw for 3,238 yards with 16 touchdowns to just five interceptions and three Miami receivers (Rashawn Scott, Stacy Coley, Herb Waters) tallied over 40 catches and 600 yards.
Beard played for the University of Miami from 1999-2003 and was a key player on the Hurricanes’ 2001 National Championship team. He totaled over 900 receiving yards and nine touchdowns in his collegiate career and was a captain on Miami’s 2003 team that went 11-2 and won the 2004 Orange Bowl.
Beard, who graduated from Miami in 2003 with a degree in liberal arts and a minor in sociology, enjoyed a four-year professional career in the Arena Football League.
After his playing career, he returned to South Florida and began his coaching career, working primarily with 7-on-7 teams and at University High School in Davie, Florida. He coached wide receivers for four years at University High School and helped lead the Suns to the 2012 3A Florida High School State Championship.
As a high school and 7-on-7 coach, Beard mentored several wide receivers who would later enjoy successful collegiate careers, including Amari Cooper (Alabama), Travis Rudolph (Florida State), Ermon Lane (Florida State), Macgarrett Kings (Michigan State) and Jordan Cunningham (Vanderbilt). He also coached Miami receivers Tyre Brady, Malcolm Lewis and Herb Waters in 7-on-7 ball.
He is married to Nordea Beard.
Tony Sorrentino | Offensive Quality Control
As assistant wide receivers coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016, Sorrentino oversaw the development of third-year receiver Marquise Lee, who enjoyed a breakout campaign with career highs of 63 receptions, 851 yards and three touchdowns.
From 2013-15, he worked closely with former Jaguars wide receivers coach Jerry Sullivan and helped produce a unit that enjoyed a breakout season in 2015. Allen Robinson was named to his first Pro Bowl after posting 80 receptions for 1,400 receiving yards and a franchise-record 14 receiving touchdowns. Sorrentino also oversaw the development of wide receiver Allen Hurns, who in 2015 posted career highs with 64 receptions, 1,031 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.
Prior to his time with Jacksonville, Sorrentino worked at his alma mater, The College of New Jersey, as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in 2012. He also previously coached linebackers for TCNJ in 2007 and helped the team win the NJAC Championship.
Sorrentino also had previous collegiate coaching stops at Miami (Fla.) in 2011 and Minnesota from 2009-10. He also had coaching internships with the Baltimore Ravens (2007) and the Houston Texans (2002-03).
Sorrentino began his coaching career in 2005 as an assistant at Morristown Beard High School in New Jersey under his father, Tony Sorrentino Sr.
Sorrentino received his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education and his master’s in exercise science from The College of New Jersey, where he was a four-year letterman as a wide receiver.
He and his wife, Kara, are parents to their newborn son, Anthony.
