Staff file photo by C.B. Schmelter / Tennessee offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has plenty of pieces back from last season's offense that averaged 365.5 yards per game, which was a 40-yard improvement from the year before.Quick, name the offensive coordinators for the Tennessee Volunteers during the 2016, 2017 and 2018 football seasons.
If the chronological response is Mike DeBord, Larry Scott and Tyson Helton, then congrats.
Tennessee's play-calling role has not reflected much stability in recent seasons, but Jim Chaney returned to Knoxville for a second stint in January 2019 and instantly provided upgrades. The Vols averaged 40 more yards and 1.4 more points per game last season compared to 2018, and they were 5% better on third-down conversions as well.
Chaney is back for a second season under head coach Jeremy Pruitt and has a lot of familiar faces from last year's 8-5 Gator Bowl champions.
"With any coordinator you look at, if the systems don't change on players from year one to year two, you will see improvement, or at least you should see improvement," Chaney said Thursday afternoon on a Zoom call. "Our anticipation is that we will see improvement also."
Tennessee's offense returns fifth-year senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, a veteran and quality offensive line, the 1-2 tailback punch of Ty Chandler and Eric Gray, an experienced tight end with Austin Pope and proven receivers with Brandon Johnson and Josh Palmer. Chaney is counting on Johnson and Palmer to snag the reins from Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings, who are now in the NFL, and provided an amusing response when asked about his new receivers.
The Vols signed a top-10 class in February that included the four-star receiving trio of Malachi Wideman, Jalin Hyatt and Jimmy Calloway.
"They're very talented," Chaney said. "They'll go fast, man. They might go the wrong way fast, and that creates some problems, but they're going fast on the football field. I'm very pleased with the guys we brought in here as young wide receivers, and I think they're going to be just fine.
"I think you'll see them on the football field helping us quite a bit, and it's our job to get them ready to roll."
Chaney was Tennessee's offensive coordinator for both Lane Kiffin (2009) and Derek Dooley (2010-12) during his first stint with the Vols and coached 12 players who became NFL draft picks. The 2012 team struggled to a 5-7 record and was just 1-7 in Southeastern Conference play, but that was hardly the fault of the offense.
The Vols somehow produced that losing mark despite averaging 475.9 yards and 36.9 points per game.
Tennessee has a much more competent defense compared to eight years ago, but Chaney is looking to enhance Guarantano's consistency after a season in which he lost his job to both Brian Maurer and J.T. Shrout before regaining it and finishing off a six-game winning streak in Jacksonville.
Maurer, Shrout and touted freshman Harrison Bailey are currently vying for the backup spot and an opportunity to challenge Guarantano again.
"Right now, everybody is playing football, and there are equal reps across the board with J.T., Brian and also Harrison," Chaney said. "We're giving everybody as many reps as we can, and everything is up in the air. It's way too early to make decisions on that. They have to be put under the fire, and we need to see how they react.
"They will earn that two spot and three spot and that four spot. Unfortunately, that's life. Somebody is going to be a little bit better than the other one, and we'll sort that out as the thing goes on. There is competition throughout the team but particularly at that spot."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.