KNOXVILLE — One moment Thursday afternoon reminded Mike DeBord just how much he’s settled into his new home as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator.
The Volunteers were hours from starting their 14th practice of the spring, the final one before Saturday’s Orange and White game, when the offensive players and coaches met for a unit meeting.
“Before the meeting got started, I was laughing with guys and having a good time with them and all that stuff,” DeBord recalled after practice. “Before that I wouldn’t have known them, and I wouldn’t have felt that relaxed with them. I feel very comfortable with them right now on the field, off the field. It’s been a great transition.”
The public reaction to DeBord’s hire was mixed, at best. The 59-year-old, who replaced Mike Bajakian after he left for an NFL job, hadn’t coached in two years and last called plays for a college offense in 2007. Butch Jones, Tennessee’s third-year head coach, used the term “fit” ad nauseam in selling his choice.
DeBord ultimately won’t prove himself until he’s calling plays for the Vols this season, but the initial reviews from the coaches working with him every day are strong and positive.