Butch Jones is introduced as the head coach of the Vols.
Photo by Steve Carringer

KNOXVILLE— Butch Jones is moving quickly in the search to fill the vacant position created by Jay Graham’s departure to Florida State. It was confirmed yesterday that Jones interviewed Tim Spencer (more on him below), and he plans to interview at least one other candidate this week. Jones isn’t the type to “make a splash” hire and will place a priority on hiring a solid coach who is willing to work hard on the recruiting trail. Expect a replacement to be hired before the Vols kickoff spring practice next Saturday. Trooper Taylor, the favorite of many Vol fans, is not a candidate at this time, and the NCAA issues surrounding Taylor made him an unlikely candidate from the start of the process earlier this week. Des Kitchings, the running backs coach at N.C. State, is a name to watch closely. For now, here’s what we know about Tim Spencer, the only confirmed candidate to have interviewed for the position.

Spencer played at Ohio State for four years and finished his career third on the OSU’s all-time rushing list with 3,553 yards on 644 carries (5.5 yards per carry and 36 touchdowns). After his collegiate career, Spencer was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 11th round. He played in the now defunct USFL for two seasons, and ranks as the league’s third all-time leading rusher. In 1985, he joined the Chargers, where he played six years. Spencer finished his NFL career with 474 carries for 1,792 yards and 19 touchdowns.

In 1994, he was hired to coach runnings backs at Ohio State. During his tenure with the Buckeyes, Spencer coached Heisman Trophy winner Eddie George. He made the jump to the NFL with the Chicago Bears in 2004, where he coached through 2012. Bears head coach Lovie Smith was fired at the end of last season and incoming head coach Marc Trestman chose not to retain Spencer.

He brings extensive NFL and college coaching experience to the table, and no other rumored candidate has coached a Heisman Trophy winner. Another positive for Spencer is his demonstrable loyalty. He coached 10 years at Ohio State and nine years with the Bears, so he’s not a candidate whose history suggests he’d be likely to jump at another opportunity if he’s hired by the Vols. While he hasn’t had to hit the recruiting trail in close to a decade, all reports from his time at Ohio State point to him being both an effective recruiter and extremely hard worker.

We’ll continue to monitor the progress of the search closely.