Jason Michael is quickly rising on the short list of candidates vying to be Tennessee’s next tight ends coach, a source close to the situation told the News Sentinel.
The Louisa, Ky., native just finished his fourth season in the NFL. After coaching as a graduate assistant at UT, Michael joined the Oakland Raiders in 2005 as a video assistant and offensive quality control coach.
He has spent the past three seasons with the New York Jets, currently as an assistant tight ends coach.
Michael played quarterback at Western Kentucky 1999-2002, guiding the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in 2002.
Former Tulane head coach Greg Scelfo also is thought to be a serious candidate for the position, thanks to his strong recruiting reputation and connection to UT offensive line coach Greg Adkins, who coached with Scelfo at Marshall and Georgia in the 1990’s.
Maryville High School head coach George Quarles has interviewed twice for the position.
Former South Carolina head coach Sparky Woods and Clemson tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Billy Napier also have been considered but neither is thought to be a strong candidate, the source said.
The tight ends coach position has traditionally helped coach the offensive line and served as recruiting coordinator. It is unclear if that will remain the same.
Matt Luke handled those three duties for the Vols before departing to be Duke’s offensive line coach.
Southbound: Former UT quarterback Erik Ainge has been selected to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The game will be played on Jan. 26 and broadcast on NFL Network.
© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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Comments » 119
rabidvol1998 writes:
Go get'm Erik. Your arm strength will surprise people.
utwick writes:
Michael went from college player to grad assistant and then to NFL. If he is chosen, it sounds like he has the experience with the position he will be asked to coach. The question is: "What does he know about recruiting and who will be coordinating this?"
rabidvol1998 writes:
KingsportVol - Don't let the facts the Erik is the only 3000 yard passer beside Peyton, holds the % complete record for a single season and has an excellent TD/int ratio while playing with talent inferior to any QB the last 15 years get in the way of your sarcasm.
ashvol#469016 writes:
Nice attitude, KingsportVol. I'm sure Erik Ainge would be impressed by your sharp wit.
TurboFan writes:
The way it is written it sounds like he coached players only this past season. No recruiting background and some administrative duties otherwise. Don't see why he would be a leading candidate. With Quarles or Woods that would be 3 HCs on the staff.
SmokeDog72 writes:
rabidvol1998,
I am pretty cynical about many things with UT football (as it currently exists), but I agree with your sentiment about Ainge. Very talented, smart, and a good representative of the program. I don't think he will set the NFL on fire, but he was a good college QB. With the exception of parts of his Freshman year, he never had a reliable, consistent running game to keep defenses honest. I also enjoyed watching him come back from the crappy Sophomore year that he (and the whole team had). With the exception of that year, he generally made good decisions.
I will always remember Erik for being the QB when my son first began to inherit the orange blood. When I was a kid, it was Alan Cockrell and then Tony Robinson that I wanted to be in the backyard. But for my son, that role will be filled by Erik Ainge. God bless him for that.
Go Vols!!!!
DroopyDrawers writes:
HIRE QUARLES!
rabidvol1998 writes:
Kingsport - It does seem at times like he will make some bad throws, but when you look at his completion %, it's hard to focus on the bad ones. If he completed all the ones we thought he should have, he would be at 75%.
Any way, we'll see how he does and I hope all Vol fans are pulling for him.
rabidvol1998 writes:
Smoky - I can still see T-robs knee buckle, ouch. Condredge is the one who really got me interested. The artful dodger is still the most magical QB we've had.
Couchdummy writes:
KingsportVol:
I am from Kingsport and am ashamed that you use my town name to spew such Horse **** on Ainge and UT. You obviously forget that these are 20-21 year old kids really, and have given their all to represent our state university. It is not a pro team. You remind me of athletic parents who become over obsessed with living their life through their kids in junior sporting events!! Grow up and get a life! Go back to watching Dobyns Bennett and the old Ketron play ball; critical of everyone other than yourself when DB was beaten!!!
Phowell23 writes:
KingsportVOL...what a joke this character is. Not a VOL at all. Get lost.
Good luck Erik!
nicksjuzunk#646117 writes:
Why in the fruit are we talking about Erik Ainge on this story?????????
paulvol writes:
Bring in Quarles to coach something if not tight ends coach. He knows how to win and he deserves a chance to progress in his coaching career. At least keep him in your records the next time you need a new coach in the future.
invisiblekid writes:
Hard to ignore the NFL experience in comparison to Quarles. Scelfo would be an interesting hire in terms of recruiting if nothing else. Having someone with recruiting ties in LA couldn't hurt.
As far as Ainge not taking the hits and dumping the ball this past year, maybe, just maybe Cutcliffe had something to do with it:
"We told him to get the ball out because we didn't want to take a chance on him hurting the shoulder again," Cutcliffe said. "We were criticized for it, but at the time, that was all we could do. If you want to criticize me now for not throwing deep, it's legitimate criticism."
Here's a link to the entire article if anyone is interested:
http://www.theledger.com/article/2007...
The scary part of the situation for me is the fact that Cutcliffe would rather have had Ainge in there at significantly less than 100% than a healthy Crompton. Could make one a little apprehensive about what to expect next year.
balloonman writes:
Jason Micheal....3 years UT grad assistant...3 years NFL....Quarterback of 2002 1AA National Champions....Masters degree in Engineering....Know him well ...BRILLIANT.....just ask any coach who has coached with him!
Couchdummy writes:
KingsportVol: Fair enough, just got my juices flowing! (PS--loved your comment about 4 months ago about Pacman and the case of rubbers!) LOL.
vtvol#210290 writes:
Tennessee really can't lose with either Jason Michael or with George Quarles. Michael already coaches the TE position in the pros. He understands what it takes to be an NFL quality TE and hopefully can translate those nuances to Jeff Cottam and the rest of the Vol tight ends (Brandon Warren?). He should hopefully bring a professional sense of preparedness that is different from the college ranks. He can sell his NFL ties to potential UT recruits.
George Quarles, on the other hand, is a true winner. He has won 7 straight HS championships and sixty games in a row. He is an east Tennessee legend. He knows what it's like to be on the other side of the recruiting chase and could relate to HS recruits very well, particularly inside the borders of Tennessee. Neither has a proven a knack for being able to recuit, much less coordinate the program-wide recruiting that this job position usually demands. Luckily, Stan Drayton and Dave Clawson were hired because of their strong recruiting abilities. It is probably too late for UT to garner a top ten recuiting class even with the usually strong Fulmer finish so time can be taken to weigh the benefits of each before Phil makes the right choice. Either way, he can't go wrong.
Couchdummy writes:
KingsportVol: Meant Travis Henry in earlier post.
rabidvol1998 writes:
invisiblekid - Let's look on the + side. You wouldn't put T. Martin in for an injured Peyton, but he turned out OK. I think Crompton will be fine. He adds a dimension as a running threat.
Pullingguard writes:
Hire the best man for the Job regardless of where he is presently.... Make sure he is a good recruiter.. Need all the good recruiters we can get to overcome the lackluster results and effort from the defensive side of the ball.. Those people evidently thing the good defensive players grow on trees, just go pick them off... Well lets just hope things improve on the hill.
volfaninVA writes:
A guy like Jason Michael could come in handy recruiting up North. With the J-E-T-S, jets, Jets, JETS the past three years, the man has got a handle on the local talent in NJ and Eastern PA. It would be nice to have that club in our bag.
cwisenhower#637741 writes:
Go Erik! You'll have some awesome and fast receivers to throw to, so you can show how deep you can push the ball at the senior bowl. If Meachem would have returned for his senior year, you could have shown the Vol Nation (and KingsportVol) how deep you can actually throw it. But since there was no true deep threat in our receiving corps, you could only throw shallow passes and manage the football game as beautifully as you did.
If 2006 wasn't enough proof of how deep Ainge can throw, and accurately, I don't know how else to prove this fact.
Ainge was far more accurate with his passes than KingsportVol was with his misinformation.
BigOrangeVol writes:
I may be wrong but on the face of things Billy Napier looks like the best pick far and away! He is a young coach that has already established himself in two years at Clemson as their Recruiting Coordinator; he seems to be an excellent position coach and is unquestionably a super-recruiter (another one of the Top 25 rated guys).
He was the quarterbacks coach at S.C. State one year before being promoted to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Prior to that he was at Clemson as their on-field graduate assistant coach who worked with the defense.
The guy is only 28 and is one of the youngest full-time assistant football coaches in the nation at the Division I level. He was a two-time All-Southern Conference QB that still holds the Furman career record for completion percentage (64.8) and is third in passing yards (4,247 in two seasons). And his Clemson bio says he’s from Cookeville!
This guy is on a fast-track to likely being the next “hot” assistant in the country. Look at where Clemson is now as opposed to where they were three years ago! He could wear-out VA, NC, SC, GA and FL recruiting for us. He already has sown-up the #9 DB in the country this year and still working on fourteen 4-stars and seven 3-stars. Last year he hauled in the #6 DB in the country; the #12 DE; the #15 OL and the #29 TE. If he can do that at Clemson then imagine what he could do at UT. Not hiring this kid could be a huge mistake.
ronnpaula7#225022 writes:
It's hard getting a serious look on the collegate level if you're currently on the h.s. ...I remember a few years back when Science Hill HS (Spurrier's old school), dominated the basketball ranks. Even beat Oak Hill Academy and was ranked at or around #1 in the country for a time. But when ETSU needed a new coach, they wouldn't even give SHHS's guy the time of day. Glad Fulmer's looking at Quarrels. I hope he get's it.
The problem, however, may be his level of knowlege of the TE position and maybe OL line vs. Michael's. Both lack recruiting, and r. coord. experience. Still, it seems to me that Quarrels brings a lot of intangibles, including a hunger for success on the next level that's hard to measure. Clearly, he's a master leader when it comes to the h.s. student. This is his one and perhaps only shot with UT and possibly any Div. 1 school. If he gets it, he definately won't blow it. My guess is that he could be a fantastic recruiter, a quick learner, and a great great hire...in the long run maybe the best of the lot. But he's also a little higher risk, which is why he may not get it.
I trust Fulmer's judgement. I just hope that judgemet favours Mr. Q. He's a (very low) risk worth taking.
newtonrail writes:
I lived in Mobile in the late 60's, and enjoyed the Senior Bowl. They used to put on quite a show with the young Debs dressed in their Antebellum Dresses. It's a shame it's on NFL, which so few of us have. As far as coaches, we may be looking at this wrong. Quarles who I don't know may actually may be getting his foot in the door on the Admin. Asst. job to high school, etc that Gerald left. That would get him more more pay than Grad Asst., which he's said he can't afford. That could be what they are looking at Sparky for also, to make his retirement in the good ole boy network.
objk1#231846 writes:
Maybe we should hire coaches with a track record of success and not ones who can recruit. Coaches and the program recruit. 100,000 sreaming orange blooded football fans recruit. The recruiting was done in 98. Past players like Peyton Manning, Al Wilson, Jamal Lewis, Reggie White, Heathe Shuler, Andy Kelly recruit.
This high school guy sounds like a winner. That many state championships proves the guy can develop talent. Give him a shot.
Let the rest of us recruit on saturdays in the fall.
Just win baby.
GOVOLS
vols76 writes:
And who is our Special Team Coach?
texvol writes:
Has anyone considered that Fulmer knew that his offensive coaches were leaving and pulled them off the recruiting trail long before we knew? Come on if he didn't there is no rational excuse for this ranking. He is much more in touch than we are and was prepared to take the risk. I can see no other plausible explanation.
King53 writes:
would sure hate to pass on quarles and see another team pick him out of our back pocket. at the same time i can see why fulmer is impressed with michael and what he brings to the table. whoever we choose, let's get after it and hit the road talking to kids!
rkastens writes:
I know Michaels has coached tight ends in the NFL (at least for one year), but he did coach for the Jets. It's not like he coached some of the premier tight ends in the league (Witten, Gates, Shockey, Clark, Gonzalez). I don't think when could pin our hopes on him turning Jeff Cottam into a star as a reason for hiring him. (Although he might do just that.)
It seems to me his pluses are his ties to the NFL (college kids like to know the coaches know something about putting them into the NFL) and the fact that he seems very sharp (his playing experience, being around a few different programs, etc.) I think he could be a fine addition.
All that being said I think Quarles or Scelfo would be solid choices as well.
4ss#446072 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Asst tight ends coach? I can identify with a position like that. Around my house, I'm currently 5th on a 3 man roster. Two dogs rate way ahead of me.
I'm sure he's competent, but why is big Phil taking sooooo long on Quarles. Either or.....
We need to be recuiting big time, I say big time........
Concerned_Mother_Focker writes:
Erik with a K would have completed 110% of his passes if Austin Rogers hadn't dropped them.
twinfrey#420137 writes:
KingsportVOL maybe you should change your name to "ERIK" then maybe you would understand UT football stats.
jeffersongavol writes:
After analyzing this potential hire, I prefer George Quarles. Part of me likes the experience of some of the other candidates, but how long will they be in Knoxville? Some of these head coaches or NFL types will be using this job as a way to get back to an OC, DC or HC a year or two from now. George would bring in some different plays, which we can use at times, but also I think he would be a long time hire. He loves Maryville, just down the road, plus his kids are in great schools. He can work his way up to OC years fron now and eventually turn that into a big time HC gig somewhere, maybe in Knoxville, when CPF steps down. I think he would be a great recruiter also.
rebel84 writes:
Come on Phil give Coach Quarels a chance. This guy can coach. I've seen a few comments about him being a high school coach, but it's obvious he's doing something right to win seven state championships, even on a high school level that's impressive. Hire him!!
txsvol#372416 writes:
FWIW, One of the two best TBs in San Antonio, Devin Thomas of Madison High, is no longer being recruited by Arkansas and Bobby Petrino. He has visited Ole Miss (and probably will go with Houston Nutt), but will also visit Baylor, TCU, and Arizona State. He had 1,500 yards before an ankle injury ended his season. The other back, smallish Marcus Wright, of Reagan, which went to the state quarterfinals, was the AP Offensive Player of the year, with 3,374 yards, and recently decommitted from Tulsa. He plans to go to Georgia Tech. These guys really had a duel their junior years, with one gaining 490 yards and the other, over 500. If Tauren Poole is our only TB committed, maybe we could make a late push for one of these guys. Jim Streety, the coach at Madison, is legendary in Texas football circles, and has turned out stars for major college programs. Go Vols! SAVol
stroker writes:
Kingsport Vol may be a gentleman adept at diversifying for accommodation or adaptation to a more acceptable point of view.
rccheek#205272 writes:
Why not take Michael AND Quarles and make Quarles the recruiting coordinator?
txsvol#372416 writes:
(Thomas and Wright dueled in their 2006 single game match-up between Madison and Reagan, where they basically were unstoppable. Each gained over 2,000 yards for the 2006 season.) Thomas missed the game this year because of his ankle injury. Just a clarification for nit-pickers. SAVol
GoVol writes:
Right now we need a strong recruiter, so whoever that is - Fulmer needs to hire. Atkins can take care of coaching the offensive line & tight ends if needed.
As far as Ainge - loved his leadership qualities, dedication, etc...but I believe he'll fall very short of being a 'star' in the NFL and will probably only be around for a few years. I hope I'm wrong because he is ALL VOL!
jobrando#216494 writes:
Quarles will be the pick
pdhuff#552644 writes:
Ainge is a gamer and soldiered on this year.
Unloading the pig may serve his health well in the NFL, don't know what it'll do for his QB rating. If he's worried about that shoulder, man, think about what's coming. Think Cut did the best he could with what he had.
TommyJack writes:
PD: Re Ainge shoulder; does it beg the question...Did coaching staff have no faith in Crompton?
GreerVol22 writes:
BigOrangeVol, spot on my man. Napier is far and away the best recruiter in the bunch and that is what we need more than anything.
Kingsport....keep up the good work! If only more folks would lay off the cool-aid....
marc_ash#231781 writes:
FYI,
I have 2 tickets to the game tonight and cannot make it. I will be in Kingston, TN until approximately 3-3:30. So, if anyone is in that area and is interested, email me at marc_ash@hotmail.com
I'll check my email from my phone before I leave Kingston for Chatt.
TommyJack writes:
Geoff: Good point. This ain't Korean Calculus.
vols45 writes:
Kingsportvol........if you can't say anything positive, just shut up. We've all suffered through a lot of adversity since 1997 title team. So quit your female doging and whining. You write like you are the anointed authority when you probably washed jocks for your junior high team. Ainge has his faults, a terrible soph year, and struggled behind and inept running game. And, you can time him with a sundial, but remember Johnny Unitas who came out of a blue collar sandlot team and could not run a lick, but he could drive a football team and WIN!!! He was smart enought to get his high top cleats under him and his butt on the ground when the flack came. Give Ainge a chance and knock off all the authoritative BS you're slinging. Other SEC teams live on this stuff and recruits surely see it. You're not helping the cause at all with your constant bantering about doom and gloom. Just shut up and join the Orange throng watching with anticipation what we hope will be the turning of the program into a contender again and not a "mid east division" team mired in mediocrity. All of us would welcome that, please.
TommyJack writes:
vols45: Not so fast my friend. Some of us think critical thinking is good. You're giving this board waaaaay too much credit. Kids aren't making their decisions based on this board. Good Grief.
vols10623 writes:
hire quarles already
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