KNOXVILLE — Mike DeBord won’t call his first play in a live football game for another six months.
Tennessee’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach already is impressing his new boss just a couple of weeks on the job.
Butch Jones trumpeted the value of fit and continuity ad nauseam both before and after he hired DeBord, who has not been a college coordinator since 2007 and has been out of coaching altogether for two years, and the third-year coach of the Volunteers believes the fresh perspective has been good for the program.
“What Mike DeBord has brought to our football program already in a couple short weeks has been remarkable,” Jones told the Times Free Press on Thursday. “Our kids have gravitated toward him. He has a command presence. Familiarity with the staff was monumental. We were able to walk in on Monday and start out quality control.
“When you hire an offensive coordinator, you’re hiring a personal brand, and we interviewed a lot of great coordinators, but we just need to enhance what we’re doing. Mike DeBord’s fit so far has been a great fit for everyone. Our players love the change. They can sense the passion.