Sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman informed the Times Free Press on Thursday afternoon that he has left the University of Tennessee football program.
Mr. Coleman, a former McCallie School star, said he was frustrated by what he called a “lack of opportunity” to win the starting job.
“It’s the best move for me,” he said. “What changed my mind is, after this spring, I don’t see myself getting a fair shake. Based on conversations with coaches and things that happened this spring, I feel the staff has goals that do not include me.”
He has given no indication of where he might be transferring.
Mr. Coleman said he asked for an assurance that his spring performance at UT had earned him a chance for more plays with the first-team offense. When he was not given that assurance, he informed the coaches he would be transferring, he said.
The last two weeks of practice, Mr. Coleman took most of the snaps with the second team, while senior-to-be Jonathan Crompton took most of the first-team repetitions. Nick Stephens, who will be a junior, is another Vols quarterback who started games last season.
Stephen has covered high school sports in the tri-state area since the early 1990s, starting at the News-Free Press as a 19-year-old reporter. He has been with the Times Free Press since its inception and has been an assistant sports editor for more than seven years. Stephen is among the most decorated writers in the TFP’s newsroom, winning numerous state and regional awards for his writing on high school athletics. He has two children, Riley ...
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