Tennessee football offensive assistant coach Phil Serchia is leaving the Vols’ program and is headed for a bigger role at James Madison under former Florida head coach Billy Napier. Serchia, who worked as an assistant with the offensive line at UT, will be the tight ends coach for the Dukes, according to a report from Matt Zenitz.
This was Serchia’s first year at Tennessee. He joined the program in May ahead of the season after a stint in the NFL with the Los Angeles Chargers. He was an offensive assistant on the Chargers’ offensive line from March of 2023 through February of 2025.
Prior to that time, Serchia served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach for Hutchinson Community College. He was there from Feburary of 2020 through March of 2023. This lined up with Tennessee tight end Miles Kitselman’s time in the program in 2021.
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Before Hutchinson, one of the premier junior colleges in the country, Serchia was a running game coordinator and offensive line coach at Texas A&M – Kingsville and special teams coordinator, running backs coach and tight ends coach at Adams State.
He went to college at Colorado State, where he began as an academic graduate assistant before being promoted to offensive technical intern/graduate assistant, then offensive graduate assistant. He worked under head coach Jim McElwain and helped develop offensive linemen and tight ends while playing a role in recruiting.
This is the second move Tennessee has made to its coaching staff this offseason after a staffer was poached for a better position elsewhere. Recently, director of player personnel, Jake Breske, left for Missouri, where he will be in a ‘lead front office capacity’. The Vols quickly moved to fill his opening on the staff with Ryan Smith from Auburn, who will serve in a player personnel position.
