After a 51-14 loss to Auburn in the fourth week of the season, Missouri was 1-3 and had lost three home games. The lone victory? A blowout – and meaningless – win over an FCS team.

This was not the logical point for Missouri head coach and former University of Memphis defensive coordinator Barry Odom to bow up and defend himself and his team after it just got run off its own field. But that’s what he did, showing an intensity usually hidden behind closed doors.

2. Pruitt Brings Fresh, Quieter Approach To Football Practice - Friday, April 13, 2018

I find the culture shift of Tennessee football under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt this spring to be refreshing.

3. Former AD Dickey has Confidence in Fulmer, Pruitt - Friday, December 15, 2017

Doug Dickey lived and breathed some of Tennessee’s football glory days, and he would like nothing better than to see those days return.

Dickey, 85, retired and living in Jacksonville, Florida, still loves Tennessee football. He coached the Vols to the Litkenhous national championship in 1967 when the Vols finished 9-2. USC, 9-1, was declared the national champs in the AP, Coaches, FWAA and NFF polls.

4. Manning: Role at Tennessee is Now 'Donor, Supporter, Fan' - Wednesday, December 6, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) – Peyton Manning says he takes his role as an ambassador for the University of Tennessee seriously and looks forward to supporting the Volunteers' next football coach.

Tennessee's search for a replacement for Butch Jones has resulted in turmoil, with fan protests, the firing of athletic director John Currie and the hiring of former Vols coach Philip Fulmer as AD. After being turned down by several coaches, Tennessee is still searching.

5. Hillsboro’s Phillips Playing for Bragging Rights - Thursday, November 23, 2017

Tennessee’s football team and interim head coach Brady Hoke will try to avoid a historically bad season Saturday.

If the Vols (4-7, 0-7 SEC) lose to Vanderbilt (4-7, 0-7), it would be the first team in program history to lose eight games and go winless in the conference. Kickoff is 3 p.m. CST at Neyland Stadium (TV: SEC Network).

6. Fired Coach Helped Rescue UT Program That Had Hit Bottom - Monday, November 20, 2017

After the fact, Butch Jones’ shortcomings are there for all to see.

He could recruit talented players but he couldn’t develop them. His hiring of assistant coaches was haphazard. He choked in late-game situations. He blurted out half-baked comments at press conferences. His interpersonal relationships were strained. He talked tough but had a thin skin.

7. Butch Jones Out as Tennessee’s Football Coach - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee began the season in the Top 25 and is ending it with a coaching change. The Volunteers fired Butch Jones on Saturday, Nov. 11, as they enter their final two regular-season games searching for their first Southeastern Conference victory, a stunning fall for a team that had won bowl games each of the last three seasons.

8. Butch Jones Out as Tennessee's Football Coach - Monday, November 13, 2017

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee began the season in the Top 25 and is ending it with a coaching change.

The Volunteers fired Butch Jones on Saturday as they enter their final two regular-season games searching for their first Southeastern Conference victory, a stunning fall for a team that had won bowl games each of the last three seasons.

9. UT Motivation? Bowl Game, Saving Jones’ Job - Friday, October 27, 2017

Butch Jones will be Tennessee’s football coach Saturday night against Kentucky in Lexington.

It could be his last as the Vols’ coach.

Jones is on a sizzling hot seat after the Vols (3-4, 0-4 SEC) were dominated by No. 1-ranked Alabama 45-7 last Saturday. Speculation is rampant Jones will be fired or already is on his way out.

10. Reeling Vols Are 0-5 Against Carolina’s Muschamp - Friday, October 13, 2017

Fans are fuming. Players are fighting. Butch Jones is coaching for his job.

The Tennessee football coach is in dire need of a good showing when the Vols (3-2, 0-2 SEC) play host to South Carolina (4-2, 2-2) on Saturday at Neyland Stadium (noon, ESPN).

11. Hiring Larry Scott As Offensive Coordinator Big Mistake For Jones - Friday, October 6, 2017

If/when Butch Jones is fired at Tennessee, a number of reasons will be cited. Among them:

• A 41-0 no-show at home against Georgia

• A combined 3-11 record against rivals Alabama, Florida and Georgia

12. New AD Fixing Hart’s Errors – Is Jones Next? - Friday, September 29, 2017

What does John Currie’s decision to reinstitute the name “Lady Vols” for all women’s sports at the University of Tennessee have to do with Butch Jones?

13. Looks Like Another 8-4 Season for Tennessee - Friday, August 25, 2017

Oops. I goofed last year. So did lots of other people who thought Tennessee’s football team would win the SEC East Division and go to the league championship game for the first time since 2007.

14. By the End of This Season for Vols, 9-4 Might Not Look so Bad - Friday, August 25, 2017

Tennessee fans would have loved a nine-win season under Derek Dooley. They were giddy at preseason talk about a resurgent program and a widespread belief the Vols were the favorites to win the SEC East Division title last year.

15. If Saban’s the Best, Why Aren’t His Protégés? - Friday, May 19, 2017

In a recent article at CBSSports.com, Nick Saban was ranked the top coach in the so-called Power Five conferences.

No surprise there.

With all due respect to what Urban Meyer has accomplished at Bowling Green, Utah, Florida and now Ohio State, he’s still playing catch-up to Saban. The same can be said for Dabo Swinney and his recent run at Clemson.

16. Time to Turn Down the Flame on Jones’ Hot Seat - Friday, May 12, 2017

When it comes to Butch Jones and the recent NFL Draft, it’s a matter of perspective.

Remember, no Tennessee Vols were drafted in the previous two years, which is a reflection on the recruiting by Jones’ predecessor, Derek Dooley. The fact that Tennessee had six players picked this time around – all in the first four rounds – speaks volumes, to wit:

17. Football Staff Shakeups Rarely Save Coaching Jobs, History Has Shown - Friday, March 17, 2017

Phillip Fulmer was notorious during his glory years as Tennessee’s football coach for maintaining staff stability.

Some of his assistant coaches were mediocre recruiters. So, what? Fulmer figured he could take up the slack. It was more important to him that the staff have year-to-year continuity.

18. You Gotta Have Heart: UT’s 2017 Recruiting Class - Friday, February 10, 2017

Butch Jones did it again. The Tennessee football coach gave opponents press conference fodder with another one-liner while putting his spin on the Vols’ 2017 signing class.

It happened a day after the Feb. 1 National Signing Day when UT’s class was rated No. 17 nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings.

19. Hart’s Tenure as AD Has Been Mostly Good for Vols - Friday, February 3, 2017

While we wait – and wait and wait and wait – for the University of Tennessee to hire its next athletics director, let’s ponder the man who soon will walk out the door.

Dave Hart is leaving the UT athletics department better than he found it. He got things back on solid financial footing. He brought a measure of stability.

20. What are the Odds? Blackburn is Still the Favorite - Friday, January 27, 2017

Tennessee has its search firm and its search committee is in place to find the replacement for Dave Hart as the university’s athletic director.

Hart announced last August he would retire June 30, and with Tennessee undergoing a transition in its chancellor’s position, the search for Hart’s replacement was put on the back burner.

21. Saban Dominance Bad for SEC? Not Buying It - Friday, January 20, 2017

I keep reading that Nick Saban is ruining SEC football because his Alabama program is so dominant.

And I just don’t get it.

The misguided Saban-as-Satan logic goes this way:

22. Jones Picks Bad Time to Lead UT Football Program - Friday, January 6, 2017

There was a time in University of Tennessee football history when a nine-win season and a victory over Nebraska in a bowl would guarantee a coach something just this side of a lifetime contract.

But not right now.

23. Dobbs Had a Great Run, But Manning is Still No. 1 - Friday, January 6, 2017

Tennessee senior Joshua Dobbs has created a quarterback controversy. Dobbs finished his college career Dec. 30 when UT beat Nebraska 38-24 in the Music City Bowl in Nashville. He accounted for 409 total yards – 291 passing and 118 yards rushing – and was chosen the game’s MVP.

24. The Alamo? No, Vols Rally Around Loss to Vandy - Friday, December 23, 2016

Tennessee’s football team can’t afford to get too merry when it goes into Christmas break this weekend. Not with the way it finished the 2016 regular season, and not with a chance for some redemption.

25. Dobbs’ Change of Heart a Great Gift to Vol Fans - Friday, December 23, 2016

In the spirit of the holiday season, Joshua Dobbs is the gift that keeps on giving. Despite all the disappointments of 2016 for Tennessee football, it would be a mistake not to appreciate Dobbs for what he is: a scholar, an athlete, a leader, a role model and a winner.

26. Something Missing in Jones’ ‘Infallible’ System - Friday, December 2, 2016

By now, Tennessee fans have taken enough deep breaths to come to grips with losing to Vanderbilt. They don’t like it, mind you, but they’ve accepted it. As for Butch Jones, what now?

I’ll leave it to others to gauge the heat of Jones’ seat as we weave through the postseason and into next year. Suffice it to say, the honeymoon is over.

27. Florida Didn’t Kill UT’s Season; Vanderbilt Could - Thursday, November 24, 2016

Tennessee’s primary goal for the 2016 football season was to win the SEC East Division, and the Vols failed.

Does that mean the season was a failure?

Not yet.

Not until the No. 24-ranked Vols play Vanderbilt on Saturday night (7:30, SEC Network) in Nashville and find out their bowl destination.

28. For Better or Worse, Dobbs Defines Jones Era - Friday, November 18, 2016

Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs will be one of 11 senior scholarship players honored at Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. home finale against Missouri at Neyland Stadium.

29. Vols Hit Home Stretch With Chance for East Title - Friday, November 11, 2016

Be happy, Tennessee football fans. November is here, and the Vols (6-3, 2-3 SEC) still have a chance to win the East Division. It was hard to flush the 24-21 upset loss at South Carolina on Oct. 29, hard to explain star running back Jalen Hurd quitting UT’s team two days later and hard to get excited about last Saturday’s game against Tennessee Tech, which left Neyland Stadium with a 55-0 loss and a good paycheck.

30. Kiffin’s Coaching Rehab Drives Vols Fans to Drink - Friday, October 21, 2016

Based on the events last weekend at Neyland Stadium, I think it’s safe to say the rehabilitation process is almost complete for Lane Kiffin.

Among the most notable things in Alabama’s total domination of Tennessee was the way Kiffin pulled the strings as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator. He kept posing questions for which the Vols’ defense had no answers.

31. As Always, Vols’ Season Comes Down to Alabama - Friday, October 14, 2016

Halfway through a heart-stopping season, how strong is the pulse for the Cardiac Vols?

Once-beaten and physically battered, what does Tennessee have left in the tank as it faces top-ranked Alabama and the lesser challenges that lie ahead?

32. Calming Halftime Helps Save a Season - Friday, September 30, 2016

Tennessee football coach Butch Jones went from goat to hero in a matter of hours last Saturday.

The Vols trailed Florida 21-0 in the first half – and 21-3 at halftime – and appeared headed to their 12th consecutive loss to the Gators.

33. Nothing Else Counts for Jones if He Can’t Top Gators - Friday, September 23, 2016

Since his arrival at Tennessee in December 2012, Butch Jones often has spoken about the importance of getting the Vols back up and running in their biggest rivalry games.

Easier said than done. Jones has yet to beat either of UT’s two biggest rivals – Florida and Alabama.

34. Looks Like 10-2, SEC Title Game, Orange Bowl for UT - Monday, September 5, 2016

Editor’s note: Nashville sports correspondent Dave Link has been accurate in predicting season outcomes for the Tennessee Vols in recent years. His 2016 season predictions, released just before press time, culminates with an SEC Championship appearance. Here’s his take on the season…

35. Enjoy The Hype, Vol Fans. It’s Been A Long Time - Friday, August 26, 2016

The temptation here is to throw a couple of buckets of cold water on the great expectations for the Tennessee Vols this season.

But you know what? Enjoy the hype, UT fans. Any fan base that was subjected to three years of Derek Dooley deserves this moment.

36. Safe to Scorching: SEC Coaches Feel the Burn - Friday, August 12, 2016

There are two kinds of football coaches in the Southeastern Conference: those that have gotten fired and those that haven’t gotten fired – yet.

This is a conference in a constant state of flux for football. The average tenure at their current schools of the 14 SEC coaches is 3.57 years. That’s right: Just making it through a full four-year recruiting cycle is tough.

37. Can Vanderbilt Pull Off One More SEC Win Against Vols? - Saturday, November 28, 2015

Tennessee football fans already are talking about their bowl destinations for the Christmas holidays.

Will it be the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, the Music City Bowl in Nashville or the Outback Bowl in Tampa?

38. Success Looks Like Five-Game Win Streak For Vols - Saturday, October 31, 2015

Leaves are changing colors, a chill is in the fall air and Tennessee’s football schedule is getting softer.

Happens every year.

We’ve all heard by now how Tennessee is the best 3-4 team in college football. Now is the time to prove it.

39. Despite Rhetoric, Florida Game Critical for Tennessee's Butch Jones - Saturday, September 26, 2015

Tennessee’s Butch Jones will coach the biggest game of his three-year tenure with the Vols – and probably the biggest of his entire coaching career – at Florida on Saturday.

Like it or not, Jones is carrying the weight of UT’s 10-game losing streak to Florida on his shoulders.

40. Rocky Top In Nashville: Good For City, Bad For Vols - Saturday, September 5, 2015

I can’t help but get fired up for a college football game between Tennessee and Virginia Tech in front of 150,000 people at Bristol Motor Speedway.

41. Vols Nearly Set on Offense as Season Approaches - Saturday, August 22, 2015

With Tennessee’s football team three weeks into fall camp, the offensive depth charts are set at some positions, while others remain open.

UT coach Butch Jones enters the 2015 season with no questions at quarterback or running back. His has plenty of receivers and all should get their share of playing time.

42. Preseason Analysis: Vols Will Defeat Oklahoma, Finish 8-4 - Saturday, August 8, 2015

Tennessee’s football team has something to prove as it concludes the first week of preseason practices and moves forward to the 2015 season.

The Vols must prove they belong in the national picture in Butch Jones’ third year as coach.

43. Vols, Titans Fight to Fill Empty Stadium Seats - Saturday, July 18, 2015

When it comes to giving the consumer what it wants, few sports programs can match University of Tennessee football.

Neyland Stadium, which 40 years ago could accommodate only 70,000 fans, has swelled to a capacity of 102,455, fifth largest in college football. It has a $4 million, 4,580-square-foot Jumbotron, W-Fi connections for fans and enough flashing lights around the stadium’s interior to shame the Las Vegas Strip.

44. Vol Players See TaxSlayer Win as a Big Step for Program - Saturday, December 27, 2014

KNOXVILLE – Christmas break has come and gone for the University of Tennessee’s football team. Now it’s back to business.

The Vols return to campus for practice Saturday and, after a Sunday practice, fly to Jacksonville for the Jan. 2 game against Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl, formerly the Gator Bowl.

45. Vols’ Barnett Faces Nation’s Best in Iowa’s Scherff - Saturday, December 20, 2014

KNOXVILLE – Derek Barnett is spending most of the Christmas holidays away from his Nashville home, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

46. Dobbs the Latest in Line of Dual-Threat UT Quarterbacks - Saturday, November 29, 2014

If the University of Tennessee’s football team gains bowl eligibility with a victory Saturday at Vanderbilt, it can look back to a quarterback change Oct. 25 against Alabama as a pivotal point in the season.

47. Vols Unlikely to Repeat November 2013 Collapse - Saturday, November 15, 2014

KNOXVILLE – University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones doesn’t have to remind his team about the disappointing fade last November.

UT went 0-3 to start what has historically been its best month of football. First, the Vols lost to Missouri and Auburn. Then a 14-10 loss to Vanderbilt in Neyland Stadium knocked the Vols out of bowl eligibility.

48. Prep Coaches, Players Sold on Jones the Recruiter - Saturday, September 20, 2014

Nothing surprises Murfreesboro Blackman High School football coach Philip Shadowens when it comes to college recruiting.

Shadowens has seen it all – including the flurry of activity created by Blackman senior quarterback and safety Jauan Jennings, rated the No. 18 athlete in the nation by Rivals.com.

49. Jones’ Wide Net Gathers Old Friends, Top Prospects - Saturday, September 20, 2014

Butch Jones was sitting in the office of Knoxville’s South-Doyle High School athletic director and football coach Clark Duncan during a visit to see recruit Jocquez Bruce last winter.

50. ‘Sudden Change’ Means Little Job Security at University of Tennessee - Friday, August 1, 2014

KNOXVILLE — Don’t look for University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones to play favorites when fall training camp begins Friday, Aug. 1.

Jones is all about open competition. Every practice. Every session. Every minute.

51. Jones, Volunteers Still Face Steep Climb Up Rocky Top - Friday, July 18, 2014

HOOVER, Ala. – It’s Tennessee against the world. Don’t believe that? Just ask second-year coach Butch Jones.

Last season’s “brick-by-brick” theme has been replaced by the “power of one,” as in one team against all odds. Given the power/opportunity of the microphone and a large contingent of reporters at SEC Media Days, Jones used his pulpit to say, without exactly saying it, please don’t expect too much too soon.

52. Mean Streets - Saturday, August 31, 2013

Alabama’s Nick Saban can walk anywhere he wants in the Southeastern Conference – college football’s roughest neighborhood – and no one can lay a finger on him.

His teams have won the national championship in three of the last four years. Overall, SEC teams have won the title seven consecutive years and the league is a dream destination for head coaches – until it turns into a grinding, weekly nightmare.

53. Area Teams Set Sights on Dream Seasons - Friday, August 23, 2013

When last we saw the University of Memphis football team, the Tigers were finishing Justin Fuente’s first season on an inspiring three-game winning streak. They checked out of Conference USA with a 4-4 league record. They provided hope as they start play this season in the new American Athletic Conference.

54. Volunteers Keep Goal Simple: Respectability - Friday, August 16, 2013

College football coaches aren’t ever going to admit to looking down the schedule and circling the games that will define a season.

So first-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones isn’t going to tell you that home games against Austin Peay, Western Kentucky and South Alabama are in the bag, but they better be.

55. Back to the Gridiron - Monday, August 27, 2012

It was the last day before fall practice would begin. First-year University of Memphis football coach Justin Fuente couldn’t wait to get started.

“This is the longest day of the year,” he said.

56. Dooley Agrees to Release Vols WR DeAnthony Arnett - Wednesday, January 4, 2012

KNOXVILLE (AP) – Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said Tuesday that he's willing to allow freshman wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett to transfer to either Michigan State or Michigan to be close to his ailing father.

57. Tennessee Coaches Headed to Washington - Wednesday, January 4, 2012

SEATTLE (AP) – Justin Wilcox is leaving Tennessee for a chance to be the answer to Washington's defensive woes.

58. Dooley Says Tennessee in Good Shape for Future - Wednesday, January 4, 2012

KNOXVILLE (AP) – Tennessee coach Derek Dooley says the perception that his program is in bad shape right now is far from the truth.

59. Vols to Allow Arnett to Transfer to Select Schools - Monday, January 2, 2012

KNOXVILLE (AP) – Tennessee will allow freshman wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett to transfer to a program to be closer to his ailing father, as long as that school is not one Tennessee plays or competes against for recruits.

60. UT President's Advice to Vols Fans: Be Patient - Friday, December 23, 2011

CHATTANOOGA (AP) – After almost a year as president of the University of Tennessee, there is no hiding Joe DiPietro's enthusiasm for his system-wide strategic plan, his efforts to streamline the replacement of outdated learning facilities and promote all the campuses.

61. Tennessee Adds Jay Graham as RBs Coach - Wednesday, December 7, 2011

KNOXVILLE (AP) – Tennessee coach Derek Dooley has added former Volunteers standout Jay Graham to his staff as a running backs coach.