Marion Hobby
Current role: Co-defensive coordinator/defensive ends coach at Clemson
The connection: Hobby played at Tennessee from 1986-89 and was an assistant strength coach for the 1998 championship season in Knoxville.
Pros: The VFL card always plays well in terms of public relations and can be a good recruiting tool as well. But he’s more than that, Hobby has pieced together a very nice coaching career with stints as a college and NFL position coach, a defensive coordinator at Duke (2008-10) and now the co-defensive coordinator for the national championship game-bound Clemson Tigers. He also makes an affordable $415,000.
Cons/Questions: Most of his work has been with the defensive line in his career – an area the Vols have well covered with Steve Stripling – so would he be the best choice to coordinate the entire defense? Clemson’s defense has been impressive, but with co-coordinators, sometimes it can be difficult to know who exactly is to credit in that situation.
