Tennessee is really digging deep in its coaching search after being turned down by multiple candidates and having the Greg Schiano deal fall apart. Now they’re reportedly expected to look to two more candidates.
Football Scoop reported that Tennessee is expected to meet with SMU head coach Chad Morris on Wednesday.
WNML’s Jimmy Hyams mentioned both Morris and Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele as potential targets.
Mike Gundy has decided to stay at Oklahoma State and turned down Tennessee's lucrative offer. UT interviewed Gundy today. Tennessee courted Gundy in 2012 and he turned down UT then. Watch for Tennessee to pursue Auburn defensive cordinator Kevin Steele and SMU coach Chad Morris
— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) November 29, 2017
Morris, 48, has been a hot name in coaching searches the past few seasons. He was a candidate at Baylor last year, which went to Matt Rhule. A wildly successful high school coach in Texas, Morris got a big break when he became the offensive coordinator at Clemson. The program went 42-11 in his four seasons and took a step forward. He was also credited with recruiting Deshaun Watson, who eventually won the team a national championship.
Morris is in his third season as SMU’s head coach. He took over a program that was 1-11 and went 2-10, 5-7, and now 7-5 this season. They have shown improvement in every season since he took over.
Steele, 59, went 9-36 as Baylor’s head coach from 1999-2003. He has coached at Florida State, Alabama, Clemson, LSU, and now Auburn since his stint at Baylor. He has served as a defensive coordinator at most of his stops.
