You probably know that Tennessee has a new quarterback this season as championship hopes prevail. However, you might not know just who is calling the shots. That’s important in what could be a historic season for the Vols.
Much of the Vols’ success this season will depend on its coaching staff, what they’ve done and how they’ll manage the season. Tennessee has a bit of a hodgepodge coaching staff that seems to manage their players at a high level:
Here is a ranking of best Tennessee offensive assistant coaches for 2024:
No. 1 – OL coach Glen Elarbee
Elarbee is certainly a known commodity. After an already fantastic career, the Georgia native has led the Vols’ offensive line to become a Joe Moore Award semifinalists for two consecutive seasons. The Joe Moore Award is given to the top offensive line in the nation each season. Elarbee also helped develop offensive tackle Darnell Wright into one of the top prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, in which Wright was selected in the first round.
With all the talk about Iamaleava, it’s easy to forget that the Vols are, indeed, a running football team. That’s a testament to Elarbee. It’s also worth noting that Tennessee center Cooper Mays was once considered a low-level prospect before becoming one of the top offensive linemen in the SEC.
No. 2 – WR coach Kelsey Pope
Tennessee’s receivers have been solid – if not spectacular – since Pope was promoted from offensive analyst in March 2022. Frankly, that seemed like an easy hire that lacked any pizzazz when it was made. It has turned out to be pure orange gold.
Pope produced a Biletnikoff Award winner in Jalin Hyatt in 2022 and multiple NFL Draft picks. Pope, 34, may be tough to hold onto if he has aspirations of being a coordinator or a head coach one day. He could have serious job offers from multiple schools sooner rather than later.
No. 3 – TE coach Alec Abeln
“Abes,” , as he’s called by his players, had a fantastic season in 2023. He quickly prepared McCallan Castles to replace former Vol Princeton Fant. The transition was almost seamless.
Abeln will be asked to do that again with Holden Staes, a transfer from Notre Dame, since the Vols must replace two tight ends from last season, including Castles. This will be a big season for Abeln as he has to replace former Tennessee fan favorite Jacob Warren. Redshirt freshman Ethan Davis could be an emerging star. Development is key for Abeln. Davis is a raw player who has incredible upside.
No. 4 – OC/QB coach Joey Halzle
Let’s face it, any offensive coordinator under Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is going to be somewhat of a caretaker as the Vols’ offense comes straight from the top. However, it’s fair to wonder if Halzle, who was promoted from analyst to offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach last year, brought enough ideas to the table in 2023 as the Vols’ offense sputtered at times.
While he may have been limited, Halzle didn’t do much with former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton last season. Milton struggled during various times as a senior. Can Halzle have more success with redshirt freshman Nico Iamaleava? Almost certainly. However, if that happens, Iamaleava deserves much of the credit, as does Heupel.
