Spence out, Brown close to a done deal as OC [UPDATED]

by rustytanton on Dec 29, 2007 10:31 AM EST

Bumped from the diaries. Thanks, Rusty!

UT is in negotiations with Kippy Brown to be its next offensive coordinator, according to the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Clemson OC Rob Spence is out. The article implies Brown-to-UT is close to a done deal.

If you were looking for a pick outside the family, you're probably disappointed. Brown has had two coaching stints at UT (1983-1989 and 1993-1994), and I doubt we'll see a drastic overhaul of the offense.

The upside, even to folks disappointed with the lack of new blood, is that Brown is supposed to be a great recruiter. Cutcliffe is not a great recruiter, so Brown is an upgrade in that department (cue crappy Beyonce jingle).

He was OC for the Miami Dolphins in 1998 and 1999.

In 1998, Miami finished 10-6, good for 2nd in the AFC East. That team was buoyed by its #1-in-the-league scoring defense. The offense scored 20.6 PPG, which ranked 16th in the league in points scored. Dan Marino threw for 3,497 yards, about the same as the year before, and 23 TDs, an improvement over the previous season. Tailback Karim Abdul-Jabbar was just 40 yards shy of 1,000 yards for the season.

The 1999 team didn't fare as well, finishing 9-6 and 3rd in the AFC East, with Dan Marino having an off year. Marino threw 12 TDs and 17 INTs. Karim Abdul-Jabbar only played in three games, and the tandem of J.J. Johnson and Cecil Collins couldn't quite break 1,000 yards together.

When he was running backs coach for the Miami Dolphins in 1996, he coached the team's first 1,000-yard rusher in 18 years, according to his bio on the Detroit Lions web site. So maybe that bodes well to reviving the running game, which hasn't been up to UT standards since 2001 IMO (save for a good 2004 season). I don't think his stint as Dolphins OC tells us a lot about how he'll do as UT OC. When you have Dan Marino under center, you'd be stupid not to pass more.

This is the conservative hire overall. Neither a home run nor likely to be a disaster. If you've enjoyed watching UT's offense since 1989 or so, get ready for more of the same.

Update [2007-12-29 19:3:59 by rustytanton]: 7 p.m. - Nevermind, Kippy is going to be Detroit's OC. Thanks to tommotornado for posting that news in the comments.

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Comments

It may not be a diaster,,,

But it certainly does not just have me overflowing with excitement. The vols need to hire a guy who can run more college style offenses, such as the spread or option packages, and still implement sets like the G-Gun. It just seems that if this hiring will promise more of the same, we are not going to see that, and we are going to continue to have the same problems we have had in the past. My thinking is that Fulmer's strength is that he can get recruits, it is just that he has severly lacked in putting all those talents together to make us a national contender again. If we are not going to change things at the top, I guess you cannot really change the system. The main reason I do not like this is because if it is not a homerun or not a disaster, then that more than likely means it is a move that will make our teams in the near future have the same max potential as teams in the recent past, which are 9-4 and 8-5 disappoints. This is a mold that fulmer has become all too comfortable in, and since we cannot get higher than those records, why not change things up to attempt to become a more powerhouse team? This hiring just seems like tennessee's whole playbook, conservative as heck.

by Power T on Dec 29, 2007 11:38 AM EST reply actions

Wait...

That article also says that the New Orleans saints offensive coordinator is in the running. HELLOOO? The saint have one of the top offensives in the NFL. I know Sean Payton is also an offensive guy, but that would be a pretty nice addition to the staff. However, i guess the transition from the pros to college may not be that successful, but Brown also does not have that much experience at this high of a coaching position in college. I think that a man who helps orchastrate one of the top offense in the NFL would be a more attractive option for a recruit than Brown would be. I may be completely going by opinion, but I just really want to make the best decision possible for our OC position, because some level of change needs to occur so that Tennessee can get out of the funk it has been the past 6 years.

by Power T on Dec 29, 2007 11:45 AM EST reply actions

MICKEY MOUSE FOR OC

It really don't matter who is OC, It boils down to running the football, throwing the football,catching the football,and tackleing, and blocking, just plain old basic football.
Smash mouth football at the line will get the job done.
Get a OC who can bring back the Basics to UT football,then UT will have a better team. GO VOLS

OLD SMOKEY

by old smokey on Dec 29, 2007 1:37 PM EST reply actions

So much for Kippy

Looks like Kippy Brown is getting a promotion in Detroit. I guess we can scratch his name off the list.

by tommotornado on Dec 29, 2007 6:32 PM EST reply actions

What now?

I know Fulmer says that he wants to hire someone in the next 2 weeks, but I am totally clueless as to who it will be, now that Kippy Brown is out of the picture. At this point, we should start writing the names of potential OC candidates on folded strips of paper and put them all in a hat. That seems to be their methodology at this point.

by tommotornado on Dec 30, 2007 12:16 AM EST reply actions