Sunday was a day to announce firings in the University of Tennessee football program. Today is for a hiring.

David Cutcliffe will be announced as UT's new offensive coordinator today, a source confirmed to the News Sentinel on Sunday.

His first order of business will be helping head coach Phillip Fulmer find replacements for Jimmy Ray Stephens and Pat Washington, the two assistant coaches Fulmer terminated in the wake of the program's first losing season since 1988.

Cutcliffe is returning to a job he held 1993-98 before leaving to be head coach at Ole Miss. He replaces Randy Sanders, who relinquished his offensive coordinator duties in October.

One of the trademarks of the Fulmer era of UT football has been staff continuity. Another has been winning big and often.

Fulmer's announcement Sunday that two assistant coaches were fired reflects the Vols' failure to win big enough or often enough in the 2005 season that ended Saturday.

Fulmer wasted no time canning offensive line coach Stephens and receivers coach Washington.

Both were summoned to Fulmer's office Saturday night after the team returned from a 27-8 victory at Kentucky that left the Vols with a 5-6 record.

It is the program's first losing season since 1988.

"I'm shocked,'' Stephens told the News Sentinel on Sunday. "Coach Fulmer has never done anything but give me good words of praise.''

Stephens, 51, had been on the UT staff for four years, coming from Florida, where he won a national championship ring in 1996.

Washington, 42, a former Auburn quarterback, had been coaching Tennessee's receivers for 11 seasons, including the 1998 national championship campaign.

Washington did not return phone calls seeking comment.

Both coaches will be paid through June 2006.

The offensive line and especially the receivers have come under fire as the Vols fell into a tailspin from the preseason perch of a No. 3 national ranking.

No further dismissals are expected.

Defensive coordinator John Chavis said Sunday he anticipates no changes in his staff. Rumors that secondary coach Larry Slade might retire appear unfounded. Slade was out recruiting Sunday.

Since succeeding Johnny Majors as UT's head coach in 1993, Fulmer has been reluctant to shuffle his assistants.

The one exception has been the offensive line, the position Fulmer coached under Majors.

Steve Marshall, Mark Bradley, Mike Barry, Doug Marrone and Stephens have occupied the post. Only Marshall and Marrone left on their own accord.

"This was a difficult decision to make,'' Fulmer said in a UT-released statement, "but I feel it is in the best interest for the future of our football program.''

The offense has been the primary source of frustration for a season gone bad.

After the win at Kentucky, the Vols rank 101st out of 117 Division I-A teams in scoring offense at 18.64 points a game.

Sanders relinquished his offensive coordinator duties on Oct. 30 but continued to coach quarterbacks. It is not believed that he will stay on the staff in 2006.

That leaves Trooper Taylor (running backs) and Greg Adkins (tight ends, offensive line) as the only offensive assistants returning.

Washington passed up a chance to leave for a job at Colorado two years ago.

When Fulmer announced pay raises last May, Washington received the fourth-largest boost on the nine-man staff, a jump of $20,679 to $134,247 annually.

Stephens made $138,542.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276.