Tennessee
Could Jeff Lebby become another Dan Mullen? Tennessee football should hope not | Adams
You surely are aware of Tennessee’s coaching turnover in football. But as prevalent as it has been, it can’t match Mississippi State’s.
You will be reminded of that when the Bulldogs visit Neyland Stadium on Nov. 9.
Since Dan Mullen left the Bulldogs for Florida after the 2017 season, they have had four coaches. That doesn’t include Greg Knox, who twice has had to finish out recent seasons as an interim coach.
Perhaps, the Bulldogs are still trying to hire a Mullen-type coach. That’s what all their hires aside from Zach Arnett suggest.
Arnett, a successful defensive coordinator, was hired after the death of coach Mike Leach in December of 2022.
Like Mullen, Leach was an offensive-minded coach. And like Mullen, he was successful.
Its other two recent hires didn’t fare as well. Joe Moorhead, another coach renowned for offense, lasted only two years. Arnett lasted just one. He was fired after going 5-7 and winning only one SEC game last season.
You know what that meant? Mississippi State has earned the reputation for the quickest firing trigger of any program in the SEC.
It’s up to Jeff Lebby to change that. Not surprisingly, his chances for success likely will be tied to his offense.
He got high marks for offense in his coordinator days at UCF and Oklahoma. But running those offenses isn’t comparable to running Mississippi State’s program, especially this season.
I can understand why Lebby couldn’t resist the temptation of an SEC head-coaching opportunity. However, his timing wasn’t great.
Mississippi State’s recruiting was disrupted by all the coaching changes. Sure, there is a greater opportunity for quick fixes now that transfers move so often and with such ease. But those changes can’t completely make up for a program’s instability.
That accounts for just one of Lebby’s disadvantages in his first head-coaching job.
The Bulldogs became accustomed to difficult SEC schedules from their time in the SEC West. But they didn’t get a break when the conference expanded to 16 teams and did away with the divisional setup.
Tennessee is just one of many Bulldogs opponents that was nationally ranked in preseason. They already have played Georgia, Texas, and Texas A&M. After Tennessee comes Missouri and Ole Miss.
Ole Miss’ successful surge under Lane Kiffin, Lebby’s former boss, also could work against him. He’s joining the in-state rivalry when the Rebels are at the top of their game.
But maybe, he can do what Mullen did: develop a potent offense and sign enough three-star recruits who turn into four-star players.
Nonetheless, Tennessee should be pleased that someone other than Mullen will be coaching against it.
The Vols were 0-1 against him in his nine seasons at Mississippi State and 0-4 against him when he was at Florida from 2018 through 2021.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamskns.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Big hearts, small hands! Tennessee kids are stepping up to make a big difference this summer.
First Lady Maria Lee on Tuesday announced the eighth annual Tennessee Kids Serve Summer Challenge, encouraging young students to dedicate part of their summer to helping others.
The program, part of the Tennessee Serves initiative, runs from June 1 through Aug. 1 and is open to rising kindergarteners through rising sixth graders across the state.
Participants must complete at least two hours of service across two of eight designated categories to finish the challenge, with top participants earning an invitation to a September carnival at the Tennessee Residence.
Since its launch in 2019, more than 3,500 children have contributed over 15,000 hours of service through activities ranging from park cleanups to assisting nursing homes and raising funds for disaster relief.
Registration opened Tuesday, with parents and guardians able to sign up participants and access additional details through the First Lady’s official website.
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — A bill moving through the Tennessee Legislature could reshape how pharmacies do business in the state, with CVS warning it could lead to widespread store closures.
The Tennessee Senate has passed legislation that would change the way pharmacies can operate. The proposal has been dubbed “the CVS bill” because it directly impacts the drugstore chain.
Under the bill, drugstores would no longer be allowed to negotiate prices directly with insurance providers or government programs. Instead, a third party would be required to step in.
The bill is now under debate in the House. CVS says the change would force more than 100 of its pharmacies to close across Tennessee, but lawmakers disagree.
Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.
It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.
2. Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.
McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.
3. New York Jets
The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.
McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.
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