Tennessee head coach Butch Jones watches his team practice at Haslam Field on Aug. 18, 2016.KNOXVILLE - Two weeks before opening his fourth season as Tennessee's head football coach, Butch Jones learned Thursday his boss is retiring next year.
Dave Hart hired Jones nearly four years ago to repair a broken program, but the coach insists his athletic director's pending departure won't be a distraction for him or the Volunteers.
"That's life," Jones said Thursday evening after his team finished practice. "Things suddenly change and things happen all the time, and that's a decision that him and (wife) Pam made. We're going to respect that decision and move forward.
"I know that he's looking forward to the next phase of his life, and he has unfinished business here. Our administration will go out and they'll get a great person in that role. It's obviously a great job, but it's also a demanding and challenging job as well."
Hart was into his second year at Tennessee when he jettisoned Derek Dooley and, after being turned down publicly by at least two other coaches, tabbed Jones to revitalize a program with four Southeastern Conference victories in three seasons.
When he took over at Tennessee, Hart knew revitalizing the football program was his top priority, and Jones has the Vols ranked in the top 10 going into his fourth season.
"We knew, number one, that we had to get football healthy," Hart said. "Butch Jones has done that. We have a healthy, vibrant football program in the best conference in the country. Sometimes I don't think people realize how difficult it was to be where we are today.
"Butch and I had many, many conversations his first year here, his second year, looking at the roster, looking at how do we build this thing. He's done a phenomenal job. That was the number-one priority. Why? I know some people maybe were a little offended when I said that as often as I did, but it lifts all of our sports.
"A healthy football program, not only financially and from a visibility perspective, the reason we're able to put these facility enhancements in place is largely drive by the success under Butch's leadership in our football program and the hard work in the Tennessee Fund."
Jones credited Hart for great support in the rebuilding efforts.
"He's given us everything we've needed to be successful here," he said. "He understands what it is to be a coach. He's meant a lot, and it's just not football. If you talk to (men's basketball coach) Rick Barnes, if you talk to (women's basketball coach) Holly (Warlick), if you talk to anyone, he's very, very supportive. As we all know he's extremely competitive.
"He thinks like a coach, and that's been very, very helpful in turning this football program around."
Throughout his tenure Jones made it clear he was a strong proponent of the job Hart was doing, and he's confident Tennessee will find the right replacement.
"Everything is about leaving a place better than the way it was when you came here," Jones said, "and I can tell you this - and I think I speak for everyone and every single coach - Dave Hart has made Tennessee athletics much, much better because he was a leader.
"When you look at our academics, you look at entire structure, you look at the morale inside the building, you look at all the progress and look at all the facilities - that's all his vision. I'd like to say thank you to him."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com