Tennessee head coach Butch Jones could be fired at any moment. We've listed 5 potential replacements right here. But who else could be on the Vols' list?
When Matt Luke was unexpectedly thrust into the head coaching job at Ole Miss in June following the abrupt resignation of Hugh Freeze, most pundits agreed he had little to no chance at the full-time job.
But what about another head coaching job?
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The 40-year-old Luke is a Mississippi native, played for the Rebels and has spent nine years of the last 18 years as an assistant in Oxford. In the middle of his Rebel-laced résumé is a two-year stop at Tennessee, where he was Phillip Fulmer's offensive line and tight ends coach from 2006-07.
While that's simply a side note of his ties to the program and doesn't mean the Vols would even be interested in Luke, could his work in tough spot this year and coordinator experience at Ole Miss and Duke be enough for them to consider him as an outside-the-box replacement to Butch Jones?
At this point, it's pure speculation, because as of Saturday afternoon, Jones still had a job and even when he's fired, it's anyone's guess who they'll target.
Here are a few other 'way outside-the-box' candidates to replace Butch Jones at Tennessee.
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Jake Spavital
Current Position: Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Coach — West Virginia
The lone assistant on the list, Jake Spavital would be the youngest head coach in the FBS.
The 32-year-old was playing at Missouri State just 10 years ago and has since rocketed up the coaching ranks, going from Tulsa quality control coach to Texas A&M offensive coordinator in just five years. He was interim head coach at Cal for all of five days in January and is now leading a powerful Mountaineers' offense.
It'd be an aggressive hire but Tennessee stakeholders could be convinced by his offensive numbers.
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Seth Littrell
Current Position: Head Coach — North Texas
Another young coach, 39-year-old Seth Littrell is doing a miraculous job at North Texas.
Since arriving from North Carolina — where he was associate head coach from 2014-15 — last year, he has transformed one of the nation's worst offenses into a well-oiled machine that quadrupled their 2015 win total last year and is headed toward a seven- or eight-win season in 2017, at worst.
He has a ton of Power Five experience and while it wouldn't be the sexy hire, it's an intriguing one.
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Jay Hopson
Current Position: Head Coach — Southern Miss
Another lower-profile name like Littrell, Jay Hopson hasn't lit the world on fire at Southern Miss — winning seven games in 2016, his first year, and starting 4-2 in 2017. However, the 49-year-old former Ole Miss defensive back and Alcorn State head coach has been lauded for pinpoint recruiting and talent development.
The biggest detractor? He has a defensive background and Tennessee may have zero interest in a non-offensive coach after what has transpired this year.
