Tennessee coaching search timeline: A series of wild events from Butch Jones to Jeremy Pruitt

Bill Bender

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Tennessee coaching search timeline: A series of wild events from Butch Jones to Jeremy Pruitt image

Tennessee's coaching search ended when it hired Jeremy Pruitt on Dec. 7. 

This search, however, was anything but typical. 

How did the Volunteers get from consecutive nine-win seasons under Butch Jones to, well, here? It's a series of unfortunate events that started at the beginning of the 2017 season with Butch Jones and ended with bringing in Pruitt a little more than four months later. Here is the timeline of the Tennessee coaching search in its entirety. 

MORE: Fulmer, Pruitt and common sense save Tennessee

Here's a look at the Tennessee saga that's unfolded in 2017: 

Sept. 4: Tennessee unveils a turnover trash can in its 42-41 win over Georgia Tech. While it doesn't backfire in the season-opening win, it became a source of endless jokes as the Volunteers' season spirals downward.

Sept. 9: No. 23 Tennessee loses 26-20 to No. 24 Florida on a last-second Hail Mary, in which the Volunteers allowed a 65-yard pass from Feleipe Franks to Tyrie Cleveland. 

Sept. 25: Jones goes in on the media with a rant about "fake news" and the negativity surrounding the program.

Sept. 30: No. 7 Georgia hammers Tennessee 41-0, effectively dropping the Vols out of the SEC East race before October. The writing is on the wall for Jones. But who could be a legitimate replacement?

Oct. 9: Jones introduces another terrible, meme-worthy term into the Tennessee football lexicon: "leadership reps."

Oct. 16: Following a 15-9 loss to South Carolina, Jones said his team did everything to beat the Gamecocks, except "score touchdowns."

MORE: Who could take over for Jones at Tennessee?

Oct. 21: No. 1 Alabama hammers Tennessee 45-7, a game best known for the inappropriate gesture Rashaan Gaulden made after the Volunteers scored their lone touchdown. That's 11 straight losses to the Crimson Tide, by the way.

Oct. 29: Fans begin an #EmptyNeyland campaign in response to a four-game losing streak that drops the Vols to 3-5. This comes in reaction to the 29-26 loss to Kentucky.

Nov. 12: Jones is fired one day after Missouri defeats Tennessee 50-17. Interim coach Brady Hoke takes over, and the Vols lose their final two games of the season to fall to 4-8, going winless in the SEC for the first time ever. 

Nov. 19: "Grumors" spread that Monday Night Football announcer Jon Gruden is in Knoxville at a restaurant having dinner with Vols legend Peyton Manning. Those rumors, however, prove to be false.

Nov. 25: UCLA hires Chip Kelly, taking him off Tennessee's board for consideration. 

Nov. 26: All hell breaks loose. Florida hires Dan Mullen, the Mississippi State coach who is also a candidate for the Tennessee job. 

USA Today's Dan Wolken reports the Volunteers are finalizing a deal with Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano, a former Rutgers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach who spent the last two seasons in Columbus.

That prompts a vicious reaction from Tennessee fans toward AD John Currie. 

Clay Travis:

Former players such as Albert Haynesworth:

Students:

And many more. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders even weighs in on the news. Despite a signed memorandum of understanding, the deal with Schiano falls through. Currie releases a statement explaining the university's position. 

It's a day unlike any other on the coaching carousel. 

Nov. 27: Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who served as an offensive coordinator twice at Tennessee, tells the school he will stay with the Blue Devils. 

Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who played at Tennessee, makes it clear he's not a candidate for the job during preparation for a Thursday game against Washington. 

Nov. 28: Former Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin joins the fun on Twitter. 

Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy becomes the name of the day, and Brett McMurphy reports Gundy had phone conversations with Manning about the job.

Gundy, however, decides to stay at Oklahoma State. 

Kiffin has more fun on Twitter:

Nov. 29: Pro Football Talk reports Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter won't interview for the Tennessee job. 

ESPN's Chris Low reports the Vols turned their attention to Brohm. It is later reported that Tennessee will announce its hiring of Brohm — who went 6-6 at Purdue in 2017 — until further reports suggest that Brohm hasn't worked out a deal at all. 

Brohm, however, turns down Tennessee and the Vols have now turned their focus toward N.C. State's Dave Doeren: 

Kiffin has more fun on Twitter after an exchange with former Vols QB Erik Ainge. 

Reactions to the potential for Doeren? You guessed it ... 

Nov. 30: NC. State's Dave Doeren remains in the mix for Tennessee: 

Doeren turned down Tennesee on Thursday afternoon: 

Tennessee now has turned their attention to former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, according to ESPN.com. 

However, reports late Thursday night said Mike Leach is working on deal to become the Vols' coach. 

Dec. 1: Tennessee has decided to move on from athletic director John Currie, per a report from ESPN's Chris Low. Currie did not last a year on the job (he was hired Feb. 28, 2017) in part, presumably, because of the way Tennessee has bungled its coaching search under his leadership. Meanwhile, the in-fighting continues at Tennessee. 

Reactions, at this point, are predictable. 

Kiffin, meanwhile, is still having fun on Twitter. 

Tennessee hired Fulmer as its new athletic director on Friday. 

Dec. 2: Former Tennessee quarterback Tee Martin, USC's offensive coordinator and a candidate for the opening, showed Vols' fans appreciation after the Trojans' 31-28 victory in the Pac-12 championship game. 

Later that evening, a report from Tennessee's 247Sports site suggests new athletic director Phillip Fulmer has reached out to, among others, former LSU coach Les Miles for the vacant head coaching position.

Dec. 5: According to multiple reports, Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker and Auburn defensive Kevin Steele received second interviews for the job. 

SI's Bruce Feldman also is reporting Fulmer had conversations with Martin regarding the position: 

Dec. 7: According to multiple reports, Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will be named Tennessee's head coach. 

Tennessee announced Jeremy Pruitt as their head coach on Dec. 7, which ended the 24-day search. 

This story will be updated.

Bill Bender

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Bill Bender graduated from Ohio University in 2002 and started at The Sporting News as a fantasy football writer in 2007. He has covered the College Football Playoff, NBA Finals and World Series for SN. Bender enjoys story-telling, awesomely-bad 80s movies and coaching youth sports.