Jones’ raise comes on the heels of an 8-4 season and his team’s berth in the Outback Bowl.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee head coach Butch Jones was rewarded with a raise on Monday following the Vols’ 8-4 regular-season and berth in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day.
“Butch Jones has done an outstanding job leading this football program on and off the field,” said Tennessee Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. “As I said recently, Butch has brought stability to our program. When we hired Butch four years ago, he laid out a vision of how he wanted to build this program back to where we all want it be. We have made great strides, however, it remains and ongoing process.
“Most importantly, we have the right leader to get us to our ultimate destination and we are rewarding him accordingly.”
Jones has guided the Vols to back-to-back January bowl games for the first time since the 2006 and 2007 seasons while overseeing a pair of Top 5 recruiting classes.
“Obviously, (I’m) very thankful,” Jones said Monday following practice. “We’ve had a supportive administration led by Dave Hart and Chancellor Cheek and we all win with this. I think it’s an illustration of the support they have given us ever since we came here. It’s gratifying in terms of they see what we’re building, they see what goes on here. But it’s really all about the players, it’s about our coaching staff, it’s about everyone in our football organization. So really it’s a tribute to them and everyone associated with our football program.”
Jones is 20-17 in three seasons with the Vols and 70-44 in nine seasons overall as a head coach. The Vols will carry a five-game winning streak into the Outback Bowl against No. 12 Northwestern (10-2) in Tampa, Florida.
Tennessee averaged 100,584 fans per game, its most since 2008 season, an increase of nearly 11,000 fans per game since Jones arrived. The average in 2012 was 89,965.
Gaulden, Croom, Perry Back In Action
One of the major benefits of bowl practice for the Vols, is it is allowing for several players who have missed the entire season due to injury to get some practice work as they continue to rehab. Jones cited a trio of Vols who have missed the whole year, who were in action on Monday. Junior wide receiver Jason Croom (knee), sophomore defensive back Rashaan Gaulden (foot) and freshman wide receiver Vincent Perry (knee) are all making progress and are using the extra 15 practices prior to the bowl to aid their recoveries.
“Having Rashaan Gaulden out there, him being back and doing drills is great to see, really proud of his recovery,” said Jones. “Vincent Perry is out there running routes (and) you can see the progress he’s made. Jason Croom is out there running routes, so we are getting some of these individuals back which is great to see and they’ve worked hard. Again, this time for the bowl prep will be invaluable for them because they’re getting the extra treatments and also they’re getting out there and doing football specific movements as well. So it’s been great to have them back.”
On the flip side, Jones said that sophomore linebacker Elliott Berry will be sidelined for the bowl game, following knee surgery.
“Elliott Berry had knee surgery,” said Jones. “(He) had his knee scoped (so) he’ll be out for the bowl game, but he was out prior to that, but that came along very well.”
Jones added receiver Josh Smith was held out of Monday’s practice because of “some muscular stuff in his back,” and he should be at practicetomorrow.
Wiesman’s All-SEC Nod Well-Deserved
With postseason football awards being announced on an almost daily basis this month, several of the Vols’ well-known stars are receiving recognition for their outstanding play this season. On Monday, six Vols were selected for AP All-SEC honors with junior guard Dylan Wiesman earning the first athletic honor of his career.
Butch Jones had high praise for Wiesman, who has been one of the anchors of a much-improved UT offensive line that has produced Tennessee’s best rushing season (2,682 rushing yards) since 1989.
“I’m very very proud of Dylan,” Jones said. “I think he is an illustration of what we have in this football team in terms of resliency, resolve, toughness. He has battled through injuries all year. He has competed for a starting position. I’m just proud of him and his diligence and staying with it. He deserves everything that he gets.”
Redshirt senior offensive lineman and fellow Second Team AP All-SEC selection Kyler Kerbyson was happy to learn the news of his teammate receiving an award. Like Kerbyson, Wiesman worked his way up the depth chart over the years to become an entrenched starter on the line. Wiesman has started every game this season (11 at right guard, one at left guard) and has been a devastating run blocker who excels in pulling on outside runs.
“I thought Dylan was very underrated and people didn’t give him credit for how good of a player he is, Kerbyson said of his teammate. “He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve seen on the o-line. He brings a mentality every day that he won’t be beat. I love the fact that he got that award and he really really does deserve it.”
Gearing Up For The ‘Cats
Monday marked 18 days on the calendar still remaining for Tennessee’s coaches to scout and gameplan for a tough Northwestern football team that has flown on the periphery of the national gaze for much of the season despite a 10-2 record and a ranking of 12 in the most recent AP Top 25. The most obvious challenge facing the Vols will be identifying how and where to attack one of the best overall defenses in college football.
“They’re a very, very good football team, the 12th-ranked team in the country,” head coach Butch Jones said Monday. “Defensively, what catches your eye right away is their front seven … a top-15 defense in every statistical category; they’re physical – they’re a typical Big Ten team – but they have very good athleticism and speed.”
The top-15 talk is not hyperbole; the numbers back it up. NU ranks in the top 15 in five major defensive categories, including: team passing efficiency defense (3rd), scoring defense (7th), first down defense (8th), third down defense (11th), total defense (11th), red zone defense (12th), and rushing defense (14th). In each of their 10 wins this season, Northwestern has held its opponent below their season average in total offense or scoring offense — with no evidence more eyebrow raising than its defensive exploits against then 21st-ranked Stanford. The Cardinal, now ranked sixth in the College Football Playoff Rankings, mustered only 240 yards of total offense and six total points against the Wildcats — 45 percent and 84 percent fewer, respectively, than their season averages at the conclusion of the regular season.
The Northwestern defense has recorded ten games with at least 10.0 tackles for loss this season and limited Wisconsin to -26 yards rushing on Nov. 21. Tough against the pass as well, NU has allowed only five passing touchdowns this season — the fewest number in FBS.
Discipline has also played a major factor in the Wildcats’ defensive successes this season as they rank as the least penalized team in the Big Ten. “Northwestern is stout up front and are very disciplined,” said quarterback Joshua Dobbs. They do a great job of limiting big plays and are just a good defensive football team. Their numbers show, the rankings show, the records show, so we have to be ready to go and ready to compete with our A-game.”
SOUND BITES
Junior QB Joshua Dobbs
(On learning from the Bowl experience last year)
“It gives us momentum. If you end the season with a loss, you’re going to have a bad taste in your mouth throughout the year, no matter what your final record was. Ending the season on a high note would be huge. So, we’re going to come out and compete just like last year and win the ball game to use it as momentum in the offseason and looking forward to the next season.”
RS Senior OL Kyler Kerbyson
(On if he wishes he could be at UT for another few years)
“It is kind of sad to see that I might be missing out on the next couple of years. I wish I could have just gotten that one more year to get to play in Bristol in front of 160,000. I’m pretty jealous of the other guys that get those opportunities but I think they’re going to take it and be able to roll with it and do really well. I think they’re going to do really good things these next few years and I can’t wait to come back to games as much as I can and watch them and support them and be on the sidelines and just be with those guys again.”
Junior LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
(On having faith in his teammates & Darrin Kirkland Jr.)
“My expectations have always been the same for them but now withDarrin Kirkland Jr.there, we have a little more stability. It’s helping him out a lot just being on the field every play and learning. There’s something that he learns every week out there that’s going to help him out down the road. He’s still a freshman so he’s still learning some things but he’s definitely going to be a great player and a great linebacker here.”
RS Senior DB Brian Randolph
(On how having gone through bowl preparations last year helps)
“Experience is always the best teacher. It was our first bowl last year and we got that out of the way. So we know a little bit more of what to expect this year with the schedule and the new team and all the extra events on there. I think that’s going to give us an advantage to prepare for this one.