KNOXVILLE – Though Butch Jones was only one of 16 University of Tennessee head coaches in Tuesday morning’s joint news conference, in many ways the fourth-year football coach of the Volunteers was the central and most relevant figure.
In terms of revenue and headlines, the football program makes more than any other sport on Tennessee’s campus.
This offseason the headlines too often have been negative, from the federal lawsuit that focuses on the alleged rape and sexual assaults by multiple former players and one current Vol to the arrest of defensive tackle Alexis Johnson on charges of aggravated assault and false imprisonment.
Jones twice conveyed a message of empathy toward the women involved during the nearly hourlong news conference and said the allegations upset him and the leaders on his team.
“First of all, everything is about the alleged victims,” he said. “We take that very, very seriously. We feel for them, we hurt for them, so I think it starts there first and foremost. It’s not who we are. We have great players in our football program. We have great individuals in this entire athletic department.