KNOXVILLE - Jim Chaney moves around from position to position during Tennessee football practices.
Not tied to a particular position group, the Volunteers' new offensive coordinator can oversee everything going on from a personnel perspective.
Tennessee had one of the worst offenses in the NCAA in going 5-7 last year, so even with 10 starters returning Chaney has a lot of work to do.
The 2018 Vols averaged 325.5 offensive yards and 22.8 points per game - 310.9 and 20.3 against Southeastern Conference competition - and after former coordinator Tyson Helton left to become the head coach at Western Kentucky, Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt poached Chaney from SEC East rival Georgia. Chaney coached at Tennessee previously under Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley, then left for stints at Pittsburgh and with the Bulldogs.
"He's done it a bunch of different ways and has had a bunch of success in this league, which I think is important," Pruitt said recently. "Unless you've coached in this league against some of these guys that you're going to go against, it takes a little while to get used to what they're going to do on defense.
"He's done it throwing it a bunch of times in a game; he's done it with balance and run oriented. He figures out who his best players are and finds ways to get them the ball. I think he's a very good evaluator, and coaching against him, he's very hard to defend."
One thing Pruitt liked about Chaney was his ability to explain the offense to the other coaches and the players. It's something that junior running back Ty Chandler recently said was one of the best qualities about his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons in the program.
"He's going to make sure you know it," Chandler said. "He's going to take the time, develop us in it and make sure we're picking it all up. He's going to give it to us in the most simple fashion and going to break it down for us. It's the ask why: 'Why are we doing this?' If we ask that question, he's going to be able to tell us in a way we understand it and give us the stability to go out there and execute."
Chaney said recently that there is no perfect science in how to identify key personnel. But helping him is his freedom to move around in practices and see what's going on at the quarterback, running back, wide receiver and offensive line positions.
"You understand, wherever job you go, there is no perfect coach and there is no perfect team," he said last week. "You try to get wherever you are at and try to understand the personalities of the players and their talent level - also the philosophy of the head football coach and the way he wants to do things. It has been interesting for me to watch the existing offense for these first (eight) practices and seeing who we are.
"In my mind, I am trying to sort out what kind of offense I think we should play. Learning our players has been the tough thing."
Not coaching a specific position group wasn't part of the plan in Knoxville - it just worked out that way. But it's given Chaney a chance to poke his head into different meetings and offer input or answer questions as needed. And building relationships with the players will be important for a team and a program that could use some stability and some familiarity for more than a season, and it sounds like Chaney has no desire to leave any time soon.
Which is good for Tennessee.
"When you get older, you know it is all about the players. When you are young, you say it is all about the players," he said. "I remember when I was younger I was fortunate enough to have Drew (Brees, as Purdue's quarterback). You say it is about the players, but down deep at 31 or 32, you thought you had all of the answers. Then he left, I wasn't near as smart.
"It takes a few times to realize it is truly all about the players. They are the ones that are going to cross the lines and represent you. When you get older, hopefully you get a little wiser with age. You try to put some plays together to try and get that group to execute and score points to win games. My belief is stronger now than it's ever been that it's about the players. You just try to get the 11 best out, and that dictates the style of play."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.