Frank Wilson
Tennessee assistant football coach Frank Wilson declined comment on speculation he will be a candidate to join the LSU coaching staff.
However, in a report by the Baton Rouge Daily Advocate, Wilson was listed as the first on a list of candidates to join the Tigers staff, after assistant head coach Larry Porter became the head coach at Memphis.
Porter coached running backs and special teams at LSU. Wilson coaches receivers for UT. He coached running backs at Ole Miss.
Wilson's recruiting prowess would be a valuable addition for LSU. The 36-year-old New Orleans native coached in Louisiana for eight years in high school and college. He continued to recruit the area while coaching at Ole Miss 2005-07 and Southern Miss in 2008.
LSU could almost assuredly offer Wilson more money than he's making at UT. Wilson is slated to make $150,000 this year, the second-lowest on the staff.
Wilson, who also recruits in Mississippi, has secured a commitment for UT for 2010 from defensive lineman Ken Adams from Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson, Miss., and from one of the top 2011 prospects in Louisiana: defensive lineman Anthony Johnson from O. Perry Walker High School, who is a distant cousin to Wilson.
Wilson, who works closely with recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron, has played a part in other commitments as well.
UT's receivers - along with the rest of its offense - struggled early to make plays this season. Injuries were a factor, as a handful of Vol wideouts missed time due to various ailments.
However, the receivers continued to improve and recently garnered praise from head coach Lane Kiffin - especially starters Gerald Jones and Denarius Moore.
The Advocate also listed the following candidates to replace Porter: Notre Dame running backs coach Tony Alford, Eastern Michigan running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley, Oklahoma State running backs coach Robert Gillespie and Houston running backs coach Clarence McKinney.
Tennessee's signing class for 2012
Tennessee defeats Georgia 3-2 in…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 61
McIntireIMP writes:
this is not good.
baldfan writes:
Hire Alford - he's out at ND.
McIntireIMP writes:
being 1st doesn't feel as good as i once anticipated. single tear.
Cldvols1 writes:
If CFW does go I wish him the best of luck back in his home state of LA. I'm very confident that CLK and staff will find a valuable replacement. Who wouldn't want to be a part of a staff of this caliber?? GBO!!!
tnmantravel#531151 writes:
aren't these assistants a dime a dozen?
wags32 writes:
They will treat the coaches like the recruits they will get the best! and leave the rest!.
utvolz#637682 writes:
It's gonna happen sooner than later that as this team succeeds, other teams will come after our assistants. If you think we're gonna be able to keep this staff of superstar assistants together for very long, you're fooling yourself. Stay on the Hill coach!
OwensboroVol writes:
I think something very good is going on in Big Orange Football. I say we lay it on the table and tell Coach Wilson that We will Match any offer plus $--,000.00. I think the Asst. Coaches deserve a reward for the season we have had. And lets face it, most everyone thought another losing season was very possible this year. These coaches had these young men playing very hard!!
Stark_Vol writes:
definitely true but I was hoping it would be at least 2-3 years before we had to worry about it
asleep#212036 writes:
It's encouraging to me that after only one year other schools are already trying to hire away our coaches, both for their coaching and recruiting. In Fulmer's years on the hill, how many times was an assistant of ours coveted by another school, especially one like LSU? Rarely. I imagine now this will become an annual event. Of course, I would hate to see a guy with those kinds of Louisiana connections go, and possibly take his recruits with him, but there are always others. Kiffin didn't make a single bad pick in the initial bunch so I'd trust him to replace Mr. Wilson, or anyone else who [inevitably] moves on, with an equal or better guy. Go Vols!!!
BillsBrother writes:
Mr. Wilson should give careful consideration about jumping to LSU. The cajuns are already beating the drums for Les Miles head...
VolsToTheWall writes:
its people like you who end up paying a guy 18 mil in a lump sum because you throw him
-,000,000 and give him a 7 year contract extension after 7-5
TommyJack writes:
No. No he doesn't.
ONUV writes:
anthony johnson is one of the best players in the 2011 class. we can't lose him.
richvol writes:
I've watched SEC football for a long time...over 50 years. Les Miles will not make it at LSU much longer because he makes idiotic decisions just like the way he mismanaged the Ole Miss game. He has been lucky several times but it has caught up to him. Hell, he can't even talk straight and never says anything of value when he does speak. It's a matter of time before the wolves are at the door at LSU and we are beginning to see it now.
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Coach Wilson and Coach Gran both probably deserve a bump up in pay. Neither are close to the poor house, but both might make more elsewhere. Both were challenged by the season. Both earned their Orange Stripes. Both are part of this team which has made Volunteers proud.
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Weiss has NFL offers in the pipeline. But he could collect from ND like Phil and a lot of others collect from their exes.
GreerVol22 writes:
I'm conflicted. He didn't do that well with recievers until half way through the season, but he is really here for the recruiting connection to LA....see Janzen Jackson. I think when Kiffin looked at his assistants they had to be skilled at both but recruiting trumped coaching in most cases. Gotta be smart this time of year to not lose ground with recruits already in the hopper.
sitinhere writes:
I say we raid Auburn and bring back Trooper if CFW leaves.
sitinhere writes:
It's rare to have assistants that can recruit and coach really well. Lots of assistants in football, few quality assistants.
99gator writes:
this is going to happen every season.
there are rumors floating around about bigger fish on the tennessee staff.
one of them has coach o becoming the head coach at UNLV.
if you have quality assistants, other schools will want them.
jclvol writes:
99, classy post. Where did you hear about O? Haven't heard that one yet.
jakethevolguy writes:
Been there, done that, understand what you are feeling!!
roloyo writes:
If you think this is bad, wait 2 or 3 years after CLK has the success everyone anticipates. His name will be tied to every coaching vacancy in the country, especially on the left coast. Hopefully, Hamilton will do whatever's necessary to keep him....but I don't think a Kiffin Lane street sign will do it.
GBO
crimsonviper writes:
UNLV= career killer...CEO smarter than that...IMO
layoffthevolteam writes:
I do not know anything about TT except the "bump"
I have seen all I'll ever need of it forever.
If we got things working well. I would suggest we
give raises( look @ gross stupity of the CPF deal where he was paid alot and it was to protect
him from other teams.)Name one?
Coach Kiffin's dad was making 2mil in the pros
and left for UT Now, pay these guys for some awesome
wins (Should have got fla& bama ) think of how close we came). There is to much acquired knowlwdge out their in one season from the Kiffin
family.
The Kiffin just don't know football the ARE FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the10sevol writes:
lsu under investigation, hmm...
http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/brea...
could prove interesting.
GBO
miamiVOL writes:
not happening, F. Wilson is very very loyal to EOrgeron, I can only see him leaving if EOrgeron goes somewhere
gnm53108 writes:
Good damn question.
Cant believe it'd be Sanders.
gnm53108 writes:
Agree...but dont sell al short.
They still have 3 days to even up the odds.
mbible1utk#324980 writes:
I wonder what the circumstances were surrounding him leaving LSU to begin with. Considering they didn't retain him to begin with, would it not be kind of like being dumped by a girl because she didn't think you were the best she could get, only to have her come back around a few years later saying "I want you back..." LSU should have considered that awhile back.
Txvol57 writes:
this is to be expected..when you have the best everybody wants it...we just have to try and keep them as long as we can or replace them with the same caliber or better!
gnm53108 writes:
He was on my dream list back in 08.
I'm with ya...would have had to been better than the clawfense #$^&#@.
gnm53108 writes:
Maybe...But al has a tradition to uphold.
Ayres_Hall writes:
No surpises. Our staff is very well respected across the nation and greatly desired in the southeast. We should expect them to be courted with almost every opening. But, Orgeron to UNLV is a silly rumor. Orgeron will never be hired as a head coach, again. Never.
cwarden24 writes:
One of the legal requirements for DUI "is to be in actual physical control of a vehicle" which he was by being passed out behind the wheel with it running. Maybe Meyer will suspend him for a half to make a statement to his team that he takes discipline serious. :-)
paul5170 writes:
That was only a joke from a UFLA. poster
tennezz writes:
Meyer will make him sit out the first two minutes of the SEC championship game!
finn writes:
Great point. I think that coupled with his relationship with Coach O and maybe a little off-season raise will keep Frank right here. From the outside looking in, he did a fine job of managing the littany of injuries, drama, and off-field stupidity in the receiving corps so he must be doing something right.
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Maybe Coach Wilson likes Tennessee. I hope that Coach Gran and Coach Garza do too. Monte has been around a lot of tracks, and he seems all Orange now. I hope that all of our coaches stay with us for a long while. This is a good time to ride the Volunteer Lane Kiffin train.
paradisetaxi writes:
Trooper make $320,000 @ Auburn
steamboatticket#484773 writes:
Tennessee may have the best DC in the history of the world, and the best recruitng coordinator and D-line Coach. Those two are making a bundle. Even with HCLK making a fraction of what some SEC HCs are making, some of our assistants may get higher offers. I think they all deserve a retainer. Wasn't Kiff's first hire an O-line coach? Talk about a great job...the O-line coaching this year was the best I have ever seen at Tennessee. What an offensive turnaround, at every position!
rockydog writes:
Doesn't Wilson's contract stop this from happening without a hefty buyout? Seems to me that this is a lateral move (except maybe the money). Does this only apply in the pros?
Go VOLS!!!
polymer writes:
Kiffin and Orgeron need to do whatever it takes to keep Frank Wilson. He is too valuable a recruiter, especially in talent-rich La. and Miss. My guess is that the main reason LSU is trying to lure him away from us is to block whatever threat they perceive he is as a U.T. coach to their recruiting monopoly they have had in Louisiana.
footballfan34 writes:
Would people please quit mentioning Trooper Taylors name. He is a terrible coach and average recruiter. He is a self promoting used car salesman. He has never signed an all confernce player at any school, never called a play, and he has only coached one player to make it to the NFL and that was Robert Meachem who was signed by Steve Caldwell and he would have made it with whoever we had coaching WR's
LadyVolsEighTimes writes:
Closer to $2 million a dozen.
If it is about money, Kiffin will have Ham Bone find some more money.
BreatheUT writes:
Folks, I have not read the other comments but LSU has been losing top players to us since Wilson and Orgeron came on board. Lester Miles tried to get Orgeron and now he is trying to get Wilson. We already have one of the top defensive tackles in the nation for 2011 commited out of LSU's backyard. Lester is trying to think of anything he can to slow this wave.
GBO
jerseydevilvol writes:
I hate the gators as much as the rest of you, but it would be a shame if he was held out. Going threw the whole season being one of the best players on an undefeated team and then having to miss the game that has been built up basically the whole season. Everyone has to own up to their actions though and so will he but I wouldn't wish that on any kid, don't care what color his jersey is.
ect1983 writes:
Usually, money talks...but in this case, BS walking is Les Miles; next year would be my guess. I lived in south Louisiana nine years; look up the word impatient and you will see a pic of an LSU fan.
Since 1979,the Tigers have had 1.Charlie McClendon,2.Bo Rein,3.Jerry Stovall,4.BillArnsparger,5.Mike Archer,6.Gerry Dinardo,7.Curly Hallman,8.Nick Saban,9.Les Miles. Only two coaches in the entire history of the school have lasted more than 7 years:McClendon and Bernie Moore.Miles is in his 5th year now,and they are VERY restless. ...Watch out ,Frank.....we want you here...JMO
GBO writes:
Why does KNS continue to release top-of-the-page stories like this that pose threats to our momentum with recruiting? I'm so tired of the speculation being done by these folks - The Knoxville Inquirer.
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.