Tennessee football assistant coach Phil Serchia was supposed to be headed to James Madison under Billy Napier, but is going to take a job elsewhere instead. Instead of serving as the tight ends coach for the Dukes, Matt Zenitz reports that he’ll be taking the job as the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Old Dominion.
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
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.
Old Dominion is hiring Tennessee assistant offensive line coach Phil Serchia as offensive line coach/run game coordinator, a source tells @CBSSports.
Had been set to be hired at JMU but now headed to ODU. Before Tennessee, worked in the NFL with the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/HSllhaULkO
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 2, 2026
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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 far from the first coaching staff move the Vols have made this offseason. Tennessee fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and replaced him with Jim Knowles. Since that hiring, UT has let go of multiple staffers and is in the process of replacing them.
