With the recent announcement of Chuck Smith‘s departure from the Tennessee coaching staff, Lance Thomson moved from linebackers coach to defensive line coach. Meanwhile, Peter Sirmon was promoted from graduate assistant to fill the vacated spot as linebackers coach.
Considering his role last year as a graduate assistant, it’s not surprising that many Tennessee fans aren’t familiar with Sirmon. So, just who is this guy?
The following is a quick bio.
Peter Sirmon, who turns 34 later this month, played linebacker for the University of Oregon from 1996 until 1999, where he was a four-year starter and earned All Pac-10 honors. During that time, he first met current Tennessee defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox, who was a standout defensive back at Oregon from 1995 until 1999.
After a successful college career with the Ducks, Sirmon was selected in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans, where he played linebacker until 2006. According to his bio at utsports.com, he started five of his seven seasons in the league.
“I started in my third, fourth, sixth and seventh years; if not hurt (torn anterior cruciate ligament, 2004), I would have been a full-time starter,” Sirmon told the Portland Tribune in September of 2009. “I was happy with my career. It was a good chunk of time. Every year, you’re holding off a new crop of guys coming in to take your job.”
Sirmon stuck around Nashville in 2007, working on radio and television for the Titans.
After spending the 2008 season coaching linebackers and kickoff coverage at Central Washington University, Sirmon returned to his alma mater. He joined the Oregon staff in February of 2009 as a graduate assistant coach. His responsibilities included working with the scout team and helping coordinator Nick Aliotti and linebackers coach Don Pellum study video.
In 2010, Sirmon was reunited with his former teammate, Justin Wilcox, when Derek Dooley hired him as a graduate assistant at Tennessee. During the year, he helped coach safties in Wilcox’s defense.