The defensive staff might not be done until after National Signing Day this week.
But the Tennessee offense is complete, and one day after Aaron Ausmus left for Southern California, the Vols have somebody to lead their workouts as well.
Coach Derek Dooley reached deals with assistant Harry Hiestand and new strength coach Bennie Wylie on Saturday night, leaving only two holes left on his first staff at UT.
“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Hiestand said in a statement release by Tennessee. “Being around campus and being around coach Dooley and the staff that’s there, you can tell it’s a place committed to doing the right thing, winning football games and having quality people.
“I’m excited to be a part of what Coach Dooley’s putting together there.”
Dooley is still lacking a couple important pieces at this point, though a defensive coordinator and defensive line coach are unlikely to be announced until later this week. Either way, the Vols have hardly missed a beat on the recruiting trail since Lane Kiffin’s surprise departure nearly three weeks ago — even with so much turnover on the coaching staff.
Linebackers coach Lance Thompson and offensive coordinator Jim Chaney will be the only holdovers, but all things considered Dooley has worked quickly to fill the void around them.
UT hasn’t specified exact positions for its new staff members yet, but the 51-year-old Hiestand appears a certainty to take over the offensive line after doing so for the last five years with the Chicago Bears in addition to 17 years in college in a similar capacity.
Wylie’s title is known though, and Dooley moved quickly after word came out Friday that Ausmus would be leaving to rejoin Kiffin with the Trojans. A source indicated Ausmus was unlikely to continue working with the football team this season anyway, and Wylie’s impressive resume at Texas Tech and with the Dallas Cowboys might be part of the reason.
“It’s just a great opportunity to be here with coach Dooley and be on the front end of this movement,” the 33-year-old Wylie said in the release. “I’m ready to get this program back on top of the SEC and I’m just really excited about the kids we have here.
“We have great talent, and I’m just really excited to work with those guys just as soon as I get here.”
Two more coaches should be on the way soon as well. But UT is two pieces closer to a complete puzzle now.
Harry Hiestand
Age: 51.
Position: Likely offensive line coach.
Coaching Experience: Chicago Bears offensive line (2005-09); Illinois offensive line/assistant head coach (1997-2004); Missouri offensive line (1994-96); Cincinnati offensive coordinator/offensive line (1989-93); Toledo offensive line (1988-89); Southern California graduate assistant (1987-88); Pennsylvania tight ends (1986-87); East Stroudsburg offensive line (1983-85); East Stroudsburg student assistant (1981-82).
Notable: Helped lead the Bears to the 2006 NFC championship and a Super Bowl appearance.
Bennie Wylie
Age: 33.
Position: Head strength coach.
Coaching Experience: Texas Tech assistant/head strength coach (2005-09); Dallas Cowboys assistant strength and condition coach (2002-05); Sam Houston State University assistant strength coach.
Notable: Worked behind the scenes during a memorable 2008 season for the Red Raiders and helped the team to a 46-18 record over his five seasons. ... Was a running back at Sam Houston State from 1994-97.
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Comments » 108
VolunteerPassion writes:
Great! Now, who's gonna be our defensive coordinator?
suPEARLman writes:
Nice.
orangevoltrain writes:
How many coaching positions are left to be filled.
vestc#256986 writes:
Love it!! Patience is a virtue and the Big Orange will benefit from it. I feel a strong recruiting finish. I bet this locks up Strong and land another good OL.
FDGVOL writes:
Lets lock this thing down next week! We've been through h_ll to get where we are going!
stayingorange writes:
This makes the Ausmus situation pretty clear. Leftovers to USC. Both hires sound good. And I think there is already a DC lined up but can't be revealed until after either NSD or SB. Great momentum for the Vols.
PlaidinOrangeandWhite writes:
Normally I would say it is great to have coaches with NFL experience but it seems like everybody has those these days.
Welcome to the UT Team Wylie & Hiestand!
TheDudeAbides writes:
I have confidence in coach D, so I'll try to look over the lil' fact that da Bears couldn't run against anybody last year.
osbymartin#581730 writes:
WOW! He wasted NO TIME finding a replacement at strength and conditioning position! The staff is coming along great and the recruiting is going well!! I think that UT will be up and running faster than most think it will!! GBO!!
VOLsince68 writes:
Great job CDD. Nice to see all the NFL ties with these coaching additions. Maybe this will help lock Mr. Sone in and help persuade Mr. Robinson that UT is where he needs to be.
Guys, it's obvious that the DC will not be hired until after NSD. Please give the man time. He is doing an outstanding job with the situation he's had to work with.
GO VOLS!!!!
rich182x writes:
I hope we still have the same intensity at practice like we did last year. That always gave me warm fuzzies.
nocleats writes:
Both OL Coach and Strength Coach have been upgraded from last year !!
Psychovol writes:
Now we're talking. This bodes well and so does the timing.
DenverVol writes:
Gotta love the NFL experience on this coaching staff. I think this will go a long way with landing Stone and Robinson this year. Green, I hear is out for sure. Did I read this correctly? "Every starting offensive lineman in Hiestand’s first seven years with the Illini signed an NFL contract." Every single starting lineman he coached for seven years straight went to the NFL? Is that even possible? Nice hire CDD!
tnsportsman writes:
WOW what a great Sat evening sitting in the snow in Nashville worried earlier about recruiting and coaches needed at UT! The last 3 articles KNS have been great with great info!
Coach Dooley will get the right DC and hopefully Thursday at the Nashville Celebration Luncheon we all will be screaming and shouting with pleasure!
I think I will have the winning Powerball Numbers tonight! LOL
GO VOLS!
tnsportsman writes:
Oh how bad did TeBow look at the senior bowl, ROFLMAO! REAL BAD! NFL QB, NOT!
VOLINTN64 writes:
Great choices especially for our offensive line maybe this will be the missing link that convinces some of the top OL recruits to GBO.I to am concerned about our DC but I have faith CDD will make the right choice for our team and Big Orange Country.I just hope we get some Orange Lineage in the fold.Keep up the Good work Coach Dooley.
BigBadVol writes:
I like that all the coaches are excited to be with coach Dooley and UT. I keep hearing the word integrity when talking about coach Dooley. He is putting together a strong coaching staff. Hopefully, this staff will stay together a long time. Recruits will follow men with character. Right now, this is more important to me than wins. I believe in two years TN will be competing for an SEC championship again. And they will be doing it the right way. Go Vols!
TheDudeAbides writes:
He seems to have had great success in the past. Hopefully he has great recruiting skills, also.
The bears o-line was Bad last year. Let's hope that was an exception.
Recruits should love the experience.
senracjr writes:
You have to have running backs to run the ball,if your running backs stink then it doesn't matter how good your line is.
bigdisbig writes:
Well, here are 2 more guys for Kiffin to go after.
UT is a landing strip for Kiffin's future coaches.
GreerVol22 writes:
patience on the D coord folks..these look like quality hires...all while recruiting...
TheDudeAbides writes:
uh, matt forte?
nocleats writes:
On NSD we will loose some commits, we will gain some commits and we will be waiting on some commits,, Dont go crazy,, just be thankful for the ones we get!!
GreerVol22 writes:
btw..here in SC, rumor is we came back after Steele at Clemson with major cash for D coord. He is waiting until after signing day to announce.
VOLINTN64 writes:
It takes it all to be a well oiled winning machine and I believe most of the quality parts are in place.Just a few more wise decisions by CDD and we will be headed to Atlanta in Dec.in the near future.
VolunteerPassion writes:
hey guys! UT still hasnt got rid of, coachkiffin.com yet! lol I think they forgot about having it!
shopsports#273141 writes:
Looks like Dooley didn't want Asmus....fine with me. It is a little worrisome that Cheney and Thompson are leftovers. Lance is probably loyal and worked with Dooley before. Cheney?? Hope he is turning orange geniuely. I think Dooley is showing his legal and AD thinking with his progression in replacements and hires. Very patient, determined, I bet cost efficient. He won't spend 2.2 mil on DC and line coaches. I also bet in the end, he won't be instantly much more highly paid than his assistants. Contracts will probably have a lot of acheivement incentives for all.
ncvol17 writes:
Socked in by snow in NC, no game cause it was on NFL channel, and now some warming news bout the Vols. Neat..
cobbwebb writes:
now tell us how you really feel! lol
newvolfan writes:
Kirby Smart and Charlie Garner Will be in town next weekend. Remember where you heard it first.
cobbwebb writes:
you can believe me if you want, i have a long time customer who speaks with jim chaney quite often, he tells me that mr. and mrs. chaney are very fond of knoxville, especially the mrs. jim chaney is all orange, and i hope we keep him around for awhile. my friend says he is a good guy, and very knowledgeable.
newvolfan writes:
Sorry I meant Rodney Garner. hahaha
Huttdawg100 writes:
With Lovie Smith on an extremely hot seat in Chicago, Hiestand just got some much needed job security. Good Hire.
Looking at Texas Techs years under the Mike Leach administration, one thing everyone will agree on is the fact that Texas Tech played real fast. That takes strong conditioning in the Texas heat. Once again, excellent hire. I'm very impressed by Dooley's work in just a few weeks.
ellerbee123 writes:
Lane who????????
ellerbee123 writes:
If he comes here but waits until after signing day, it shows the man has class........
shopsports#273141 writes:
Did Wylie get in trouble with Leach over the James incident? I thought I heard the strength coach lied for Leach????
shopsports#273141 writes:
Not classey if he is lying to recruits over there.
stayingorange writes:
Let's go ahead and bring Charlie back too.
tlvol writes:
Great hires! Any word on Chuck Smith?
shopsports#273141 writes:
Satan has said he is pissed if someone takes a latteral postion. Guess he was pissed with Thompson coming to UT for a big raise. He ought to try paying people besides himself. Would be very special to buy Smart off Satan. Richt kept Garner for recruiting but wouldn't promote him to DC. Maybe he would be getting pay back on Mark to get DC at Tn. If so I just hope he would be good. Don't know.
shopsports#273141 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
tlvol writes:
Great Hires! Any word on Chuck Smith?
ric1958 writes:
What I have been hearing is that Steele from Clemson may still coming to The vols after NSD. And that was coming from peeps at Clemson
rockytopatl writes:
This just gets better and better. Pour me another shot of this NEW Kool-Aid, please. I think it's a lot smoother than the stuff we had last year. GBO!
rockytopatl writes:
Garner is NOT DC material. If he was, Richt would have given him the job. The man is no dummy.
jimr07 writes:
It would help if he actually read the article.
wjr2b2 writes:
Does anyone know if we will be running a Zone Blocking Scheme?
coachmull writes:
Any update on the OL prospects???
de3cls writes:
I have no link to post for this, but I have heard (On Sports Talk) that Chuck Smith has been hired and is waiting on the new DC's approval, whoever that will be (or unannounced DC).
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