For the first time since 1989, John Chavis won't be coaching at Tennessee. But when the 2009 season kicks off next fall, UT's longtime defensive coordinator will likely remain in the SEC.
Chavis, 52, is expected to be defensive coordinator at LSU, a source close to the situation confirmed Monday.
A formal announcement could come this week, likely after the Tigers face Georgia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Wednesday.
Chavis, who according to the source turned down an offer earlier this month to become Clemson's defensive coordinator, declined comment when reached by telephone Monday afternoon.
"I can't comment on it at all," Chavis said. "To my knowledge, LSU hasn't released anything at all. That would be for them to do if it is true."
Chavis is expected to receive a multi-year deal at LSU worth $500,000 annually, ESPN.com reported.
If his salary at LSU exceeds the $340,000 salary from last season, Tennessee would not owe Chavis additional money to buy out the two years remaining on his contract at UT.
Chavis will become the Tigers' third defensive coordinator in as many seasons.
Co-defensive coordinator Bradley Dale Peveto accepted the head coaching job at Northwestern State, while co-defensive coordinator Doug Mallory is considering an offer to become defensive coordinator at New Mexico.
Those two replaced Bo Pelini, who left LSU to become Nebraska's head coach after the Tigers won the 2007 BCS national championship.
Following a dominating performance against Ohio State in the national championship game, the Tigers finished 7-5 this season. LSU's defense allowed 31 points or more in four games, including a combined 103 points in losses to Florida and Georgia, and the Tigers ranked 80th in the nation in pass defense.
Tennessee's defense, meanwhile, was one of few bright spots in a 5-7 season that ended with Phillip Fulmer's departure after 17 full seasons as head coach.
Under Chavis' guidance, Tennessee's defense finished the season fourth in the nation in total defense and 10th in scoring defense despite an offense that ranked 99th in time of possession.
Stout, attacking defenses were the norm under Chavis, who took over as UT's coordinator in 1995.
Over those 14 seasons, the Vols held opponents below a 100-yard rushing average in six of those seasons and finished among the top three in the conference in total defense nine times. UT's defense in 1998 was among Chavis' best and helped the Vols claim their first national championship since 1951.
During his 20 years at Tennessee, where he played from 1976-78, Chavis turned down multiple opportunities with other schools and in the NFL. In January, he declined an offer to be the Atlanta Falcons' linebackers coach.
According to a source, Chavis also had received interest from several NFL teams since UT coach Lane Kiffin dismissed Chavis and the rest of UT's defensive staff Nov. 30.
Kiffin's father, longtime Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, will formally join UT's staff as defensive coordinator this week.
With Peveto's departure and Mallory's possible exit for New Mexico, LSU could have room on its staff for at least one of Chavis' former assistants. Former UT defensive ends coach Steve Caldwell and former UT defensive line coach Dan Brooks could be options, although both of the Tigers' defensive line coaches remain on staff.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
National Signing Day 2010
Tennessee Lady Vols 82, Auburn Tigers 64
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 212
blitzshoot writes:
Congrats LSU...get use to Mustang. But, good luck Coach Chavis.
Major_Magilicutty writes:
WOW!!!
dshawn13#224876 writes:
not good for us
DingoVol writes:
I think this is great for Coach Chavis. I am happy for him. It is a shame that he didn't make $$ more under Coach Fulmer. He will be a great fit in Baton Rouge. I am willing to bet he won't bring Slade along.
markr22vols writes:
I like Chief and hope everything goes well for him down there. Wish he had left the SEC though. Congrats!!
Madkels writes:
Good luck to John...except when LSU plays the Vols.
Rockford writes:
Good luck Mr. Chavis!
BigOrangeInCarolina writes:
Good luck, Chief!!!! LSU is fortunate to have you. Here's to the Tigers taking Bammer out perenially!!!
blitzshoot writes:
I wish Chavis well, but the defense gave up big to UCLA.
Florida had no problem with it. Bama moved the ball. He is good, but not dominating. I do not think he was an awesome recruiter either.
FlaVol2 writes:
Good luck John Chavis. You deserve a good place to use your many football skills. Glad you are still in the SEC.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Well the cast has been put back to work except for one...That's all good news.
THEKIDWI writes:
I agree, congrats to Coach Chavis but I'd have rather seen him out of the SEC
rabidvol1998 writes:
Good luck Chief. It looks like a assistant coaches can thank CLh for raising their pay.
tums writes:
I still wish we had Chief. I am sure he wouldnt have liked it, but I would have liked him as the D Co. with Lane slapping him when he tries the Mustang and the like. I hope Monte has an answer for all these gimmick college offenses.
SemperVol writes:
October 2, 2010 at Baton Rouge, LA...
http://www.utsports.com/sports/m-foot...
jobrando#216494 writes:
I think I would give credit to a very inept VOL offense that created a very tired defense.
govols87 writes:
good luck "bayou chief"
GreerVol22 writes:
tums, I can't say your all wrong as chief was pretty good. But he's no Monte.
Kiffin_fan writes:
Congrats to the Chief.... He will be missed in K-Town but, now its time for the Kiff's to get everything together and put us back on the MAP!!!
MassVol writes:
Good luck Chief. I will miss you.
MurfreesboroMike writes:
I think I speak for the majority when I say we never wished ill upon Chavis. I think most felt bad for the man and hoped he'd land on his feet. I'd have preferred it be outside of the SEC, but I'm glad the work he did here gave him enough of a name to land a job as significant as LSU.
TommyJack writes:
All LSU opponents: Just get yourselves in third and long.
iowavol writes:
How many times did Florida score less than 30 points? If I'm not mistaken it was one time, to us. And that is after giving the ball back to them 8 times on 3 and out. Same thing with every other team that scored more than 14 points. Chavis will do wonders down there - especially with the kind of talent in LSU's back yar.
Waldorf writes:
I guess LSU forgot about the 2000 game when they completed about 25 straight slants on a Chavis led defense before he finally adjusted.
Or 2001 when he never could adjust to a two tight end empty backfield set when every person in the Dome knew the QB Draw was coming except for Chavis.
Or that infamous 8 minute drive in 2006 when he single-handedly turned JaMarcus Russell into the #1 draft pick.
Third and Chavis lives!!!!!!!!!!
Waldorf writes:
Oh yeah Foolmorons -
Where's Foolmore coaching next year? I mean, everyone was going to be waiting to land a coach with 152 career wins.
jcherrie#219531 writes:
I still remember when Dick Vermeil was doing the play-by-play for a nationally televised Vols game.
On third down he kept saying "Wow, Tennessee plays a very soft zone!"
Dick knows a thing or two about football.
Chavis has repeatedly denied changing the coverage on 3rd and long. I just don't believe it.
Anyway, Chief is a very good coach and I wish him all the best -- and I agree that LSU will do better on 3rd and 2 than 3rd and 23.
jcherrie#219531 writes:
FYI -- The KNS translated the first name of the famous football coach to 'Richard'.
Who was the Richard that made that policy??
volroadwarrior writes:
Ignore her/him/it, whatever is appropriate. It wanted the Tarheel coach and didn't get him so it is throwing a fit.
TommyJack writes:
Join me in some kevlar?
givehim6 writes:
Good luck Chief, will be interesting game to see when UT and LSU play one another.
absolutevolfan (Inactive) writes:
good luck chavis i think we made the right move in hiring monte kiffin.i guess we'll see in 2010
SemperVol writes:
Just put a space between each letter and you're good to go...
D i c k Vermeil was a great coach... see
Smokey91 writes:
Good luck to the Chief. Hope he uses that prevent Mustang package when we play LSU in the future.
Waldorf writes:
He didn't recruit very hard in Knoxville either.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
holy (excrement deleted), Chavis with LSU's DT's?? It will NOT be a pretty sight when you play LSU. Get used to having your QB's teeth kicked in.
Most years, UT's defense played exciting ball. We've put a LOT of players in the pros. Chavis is no slouch of a coach.
I'll agree, he has a tendancy to play 'soft' on big downs, which kills us, but all in all, he is a good coach.
Sheepscape writes:
You can rest assured Saban is quite tickled with this announcement.
agentorange writes:
great...now he'll recruit TN for the swamprats. agreed that LSU's talent on D-line will make Chavis' defense scary.
Go4Two writes:
I don't have the numbers in front of me but i'm guessing you are wrong
kevin151 writes:
It is going to be wierd watching LSU play the prevent defense late in the fourth quarter in a close game.
Good riddens
GoVol writes:
Old news - KNS is always slow to the party with news.
Chavis - will you still be able to recruit from your living room or will Miles make you travel?
plzcomebackpeyton writes:
good for chavis. bad for lsu.
rabidvol1998 writes:
You are a bad guesser. Unless you count 26 to Miami.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Thank the head coach for that decision and not the DC. That' called Fulmer ball.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Your are correct. All in all he's a very good coach that was just hired by the defending national champs at $500k a year.
I'm sure he can handle a few 3rd and long mustang jokes while openning his new bank accounts.
I can't stand the "hat", but now I'm a LSU defense fan.
Go Vols
crappieking writes:
Average DC, Lazy recruiter (CFP fault for not kicking him in the arse). But he still will do well at LSU. Miles is about run out of Saban's recruits and the program is sliding as shown this year. Chief might have a shot at HC in a couple of years.
Waldorf writes:
Just take a knee on first and second down and go 3rd and 12 or 3rd and 14 and you'll see why some of us aren't saddened by his departure.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Very interesting point. For now I'll just hope they both end up tied for first, but LSU sucks in the SEC champ game against TN.
Keep hope alive.
asleep#212036 writes:
Good point about Chavis' defenses and their respective talent levels, especially in comparison to LSU. But a Chavis defense has never shut down a Spurrier- or Meyer-coached Florida team so I wouldn't get too torn up just yet. And, I think eight of the teams we played had offenses ranked in the bottom third so statistics do lie. Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and UCLA certainly had no trouble figuring it out.
I think Monte will be just fine. If our offense can get to the middle of the pack instead of 116th out of 119, the D will not need to be so dominating for us to be much more competitive. Further, the hallmark of a successful NFL coach is making adjustments in schemes depending on personnel and situations. We already run a simplified version of the Tampa 2 and I'm quite certain Monte can and will make the necessary adjustments to make it work in college. And Monte was HC at NC State in the 70's. Not recent but certainly has experience coaching college kids. I'm much more worried about our moribund offense than Monte's defenses falling off a cliff.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
True, that's the key.
350k per annum saved Phil's 6 mil gravy train out of K-town.
Wish Chief the best.
Ironcity writes:
He never recruited Tennessee when he was here, why would he start now?
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