University of Tennessee at Chattanooga running backs coach Jason McManus resigned Wednesday following a meeting with coach Russ Huesman. McManus was the lone remaining holdover from former coach Rodney Allison’s staff.
“At this time it’s in my best interest to pursue other options and start something new somewhere else,” McManus said Thursday. “I’ve been thinking about it and just feel like there’s other things out there that I need to be pursuing.”
Huesman declined to comment other than confirming that McManus had resigned. Athletic director Rick Hart, however, said the situation developed in part from some disciplinary issues stemming from improper communication with recruits.
McManus was UTC’s recruiting coordinator for two years under Allison and served as wide receivers coach for three years. A recent UTC check of his phone records found he had made contact with a couple of recruits, Hart said, while barred from doing so by the university.
McManus was prohibited from contacting recruits after committing NCAA secondary violations prior to Huesman’s hiring by interacting via text message with two prospective signees. Hart said the more recent contacts with recruits weren’t NCAA violations but violated “the parameters of his disciplinary action” handed down by UTC.
As a result of the recent contacts, Hart said, UTC extended McManus’ “no recruitment status indefinitely, to be reviewed in August.” Rather than remaining on staff while unable to perform a key part of every assistant’s job, McManus opted to resign.
Huesman said he has already begun searching for a new running backs coach and hopes to have one in place by the time spring practice starts Feb. 28.
McManus and former defensive line coach Fred Tate were the only coaches Huesman retained from Allison’s staff. Tate accepted a job at Marshall in December.