Former offensive coordinator at Syracuse to become GA at Tennessee? Really?

by Joel Hollingsworth on Jan 20, 2009 11:23 PM EST in Tennessee Volunteer Football

Defensive coordinator from the NFL? One-point-something million dollars.

Recruiting Zen-Guru-Man-Machine? $650-some-thousand smackers.

Former offensive coordinator for Syracuse University? Priceless. As in "without price." Former Orangemen OC and o-line coach Mitch Browning will become a graduate assistant at Tennessee sometime next week, GVX reports. Just goes to show you that when you get on a roll, folks want to join in the fun.

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On a related topic: The Volunteers can, in fact, shoot free throws.

by bobo_the_vol on Jan 20, 2009 11:37 PM EST reply actions

The only real stipulation is that he can't contact recruits - no GA can.

Well, that and limited hours per week, I’m sure. Or whatever that means.

I’ll be interested to see what he does for a grad program and if he sticks with it for more than a year. After all, this might be a convenient way to wait out a year while still on someone else’s payroll. Either way, his last job will say “UT” rather than “Syracuse”, and that has to be a relief.

by David Hooper on Jan 20, 2009 11:37 PM EST reply actions

You might want to give your guys a heads-up...

to hit the gym before Mitch gets there.

http://www.nunesmagician.com/2008/03/swm-seeking-productive-o-line-with.html

by Sean Keeley on Jan 21, 2009 1:08 AM EST reply actions

Hey, great link!

Thanks for giving us the heads-up on that. I also agree with your conclusion; if he finds a way to get his lineman in better shape without risking their health, I’m all for it. You don’t often see that kind of praise from players in the middle of a “lose weight or ride pine” campaign.

by David Hooper on Jan 21, 2009 8:45 AM EST up reply actions

For the record

Even I think this is a little shady.

"Florida didnt win their first SEC title until 1991 and now they think they invented football."
-Ron Zook

by rustytanton on Jan 21, 2009 9:25 AM EST reply actions

It probably is.

I can drum up several legitimate reasons for this, but they’d all fall under idle speculation. I’m guessing that he’s looking for a clean start after the Syracuse fiasco, and his prior work with Monte provided the networking avenue to get started again.

This may also serve to give him a bit of a breather, as well. Even though he’ll effectively be a coach who happens to take two classes a semester, he’ll be off the recruiting trail and have more time to relax than the rest. With as much overworking as coaches do anymore, perhaps it’s in his best interest to detox just a touch.

But yeah, shady. And on Syracuse’s dime!

by David Hooper on Jan 21, 2009 9:47 AM EST up reply actions