Vols’ football assistant coaches connecting well

KNOXVILLE – Tennessee football coach Butch Jones recalled from the main stage at the Southeastern Conference’s media days event last week that he received a phone call from first-year defensive line coach Brady Hoke on July 4, when Hoke was on vacation with his family.

“He’s talking about the dynamics of our staff and how great our staff is and how this is going to be a great year and how he loves working with the kids and everything that we’re doing,” Jones said of the phone call.

Jones used the conversation with Hoke as an illustration of the relationships he said are developing among a staff that features four assistants who have been college head coaches.

Summer is a time when college football coaches often find positive elements of their programs to highlight as the season approaches. One such storyline around Knoxville this offseason has been the apparent cohesiveness of a vastly overhauled group of coaches who will run their first preseason practice together a week from today.

Tennessee defensive line coach Brady Hoke checks on players at the Orange and White game in April at Neyland Stadium. Hoke, who is also associate head coach entering his first season with the Vols, has 12 years of experience as a Division I head coach.