Nobody will question the job Rodney Garner has done with the Tennessee Football defensive line since returning to the Vols’ staff under Josh Heupel, but he could always use a bit of help. There is no better fit for him than new defensive analyst and former Vol Marion Hobby.
UT announced the addition of Hobby to its staff Monday. Hobby spent the past four years as the defensive line coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, and although he was fired after this past year, he still brings a ton to the table that Josh Heupel and Tim Banks could utilize.
For starters, Hobby is a former Vol. He played for Tennessee Football under Johnny Majors from 1987 to 1989. He then played three years in the NFL, with the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots. Hobby was no stranger to production in college, though, earning All-SEC in 1989.
Beyond production, Hobby brings championship experience. He won the SEC title as a player in 1989, and he won the national championship as co-defensive coordinator of the Clemson Tigers in 2016. Oh, and in his only other stop with Tennessee Football since leaving, 1998 as the assistant strength and conditioning coach, the Vols won the natty.
Speaking of strength and conditioning, that’s another layer Hobby brings to the program, as he cut his teeth leading that side of football programs before moving to coaching defensive linemen. That is a huge boost for the Vols, who need more help on that front, and defensive line is obviously a crucial position for conditioning.
In addition to Dabo Swinney, Hobby is a longtime protege of David Cutcliffe, whom he worked under with the Ole Miss Rebels and Duke Blue Devils. He also has NFL experience, and not just the past four years in Cincy but under Sean Payton with the New Orleans Saints in 2006 and 2007.
After leaving Clemson in 2017, Hobby spent two years with the Miami Dolphins and two with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Simply put, he has had a lot of stops and gained a ton of experience, so Heupel pulled off a coup luring him back to Knoxville to join this staff.
With Omari Thomas, Omarr Norman-Lott, Elijah Simmons and James Pearce Jr. gone, Tennessee Football has a lot of work to do to keep its line up to snuff this year. Hobby could be a huge part of that, and there’s no doubt his time with Clemson gives him recruiting prowess as well, so in every way, he’s a great pickup.
