Tennessee has to find a quarterback fast following the Nico Iamaleava divorce. If things don’t work out, the Vols may also have to find a new offensive coordinator.
While Iamaleava’s departure may buy head coach Josh Heupel some more time to get Tennessee to a championship level, the recent developments only stoked the fire under Joey Halzle’s seat, which was already pretty warm as the Vols’ OC.
There was a lot to consume with Iamaleava’s departure. Halzle’s role – or lack thereof – shouldn’t be lost in the bedlam. He was the only coach to have contact with Iamaleava in the final hours before the quarterback bolted. Is it unfair to blame Halzle for Iamaleava’s departure? Probably, but ultimately the 39-year-old coach wasn’t able to convince Iamaleava to remain a Vol. He has to accept much – or most – of the blame.
I probably don’t need to remind you that the Vols haven’t been at their best offensively since Alex Golesh left Tennessee for South Florida following UT’s spectacular 2022 season. At the time, I thought Golesh was expendable. After all, Tennessee’s offense was Heupel’s offense, and he wasn’t going anywhere. Now, I’m not so sure that Golesh wasn’t the impetus behind the Vols’ renaissance in 2022. Why? Things just haven’t been the same since.
Under Halzle, the Vols ranked seventh in the SEC in scoring offense with 31.8 points per game in 2023 and second with 35.7 points per game last season. Those aren’t pedestrian numbers, but they are far from the 2022 season when the Vols were first in the SEC and the nation with 46.1 points per game. Is the drop off all Halzle’s fault? Probably not, but it’s easy for fans to make that assumption.
Before throwing Halzle under the Big Orange bus, though, let’s take a look at some factors that led to the Vols sagging offense over the past two seasons.
First, Tennessee hasn’t had the same type of quarterback play they had with Hendon Hooker in 2022. One can blame Halzle for a lack of development, but that’s a little too simplistic. Hooker was a special talent and probably underrated while playing for the Vols. Halzle also deserves credit for coaching Hooker while solely UT’s quarterbacks coach. Since then? Former Tennessee quarterbacks Joe Milton III and Iamaleava didn’t stack up. That’s not all on Halzle. Then, there’s the rest of the roster to consider.
As the season began last year, the Vols didn’t have an offensive tackle that could handle a blocking dummy, much less a talented defensive end. That’s not on Halzle. His job isn’t to prepare Tennessee’s offensive line nor build an entire roster. Heupel is supposed to do that.
The roster shortcomings have also shown up at receiver. Injuries were a factor, but there’s no arguing that the Vols have lacked the same pop at receiver that they had in 2022, most notably with former UT receiver and Biletnikoff Award winner Jalin Hyatt.
Was Hyatt just a product of Tennessee’s system, or was he an elite talent? His production in the NFL would make one think his stardom was more about Golesh than anything else. Hyatt has struggled in the pros with just 31 receptions in two seasons. As of now, it looks like Golesh made him a star and not vice versa. The same could be said for Hooker, who is still in the NFL but hasn’t been anywhere close to the player he was in college.
Also in Halzle’s defense, he is facing different defenses than Golesh did in 2022. Tennessee took several teams by surprise with their attacking passing game and solid rushing attack. That’s not happening anymore. Heupel’s style of offense is in vogue right now. That means defenses are more focused on up-tempo, wide splits and aggressive play-calling, and it’s been evident across the country, not just at Tennessee.
Halzle’s resume doesn’t help those that want him gone. The California native’s career was just bumbling along before Heupel elevated him from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator in 2023. He had only been a position coach or an analyst previously.
Heupel trusts Halzle, but I’m not so sure he should. Halzle hasn’t proven he can keep UT’s offense running at top speed. He also hasn’t proven he can retain one of Tennessee’s most important players. It would be unfair to say Halzle is the reason Iamaleava left. However, Halzle certainly wasn’t reason enough to stay.
