Who Will Tennessee Turn to in Head Coaching Search Now?

David Cutcliffe

Quick Bio: David Cutcliffe checks off a lot of boxes for Vol fans. He not only has Tennessee ties, but he was arguably one of the best offensive coordinators in school history, and he has head coaching experience both in the SEC and ACC. He’s also worked wonders with quarterbacks.

Pros: Cutcliffe was the reason Tennessee’s offense had success under Phillip Fulmer in the 1990s and again from 2006-7. He had some success as the head coach of Ole Miss, taking them to six bowl games and a 10 win season in 2003, but they decided to part ways with him in 2004. He rejoined Tennessee in 2006 before taking the head coaching position at Duke where he’s turned that program from a bottom feeder in the ACC to an opponent nobody can overlook.

Cons/Questions: Cutcliffe had great success at Duke several years ago, but his trajectory has seen a downward turn over the last couple seasons. Even despite that, hiring Cutcliffe, who turned 63 this past September, likely wouldn’t be a long-term hire and would likely only last another five or six years at most. The appeals of having him come on and have Tee Martin as coach in waiting is there, but it’s unlikely Cutcliffe would leave Duke for that.