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Tennessee Football: Four Reasons Larry Scott Could Work Out as Vols Offensive Coordinator

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 8:38 p.m. ET

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Nov 19, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view before the game between the Missouri Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Butch Jones promoted Larry Scott to Tennessee football offensive coordinator last week. Here are four reasons that move could work for the Volunteers.

On the same day as Donald Trump’s Inauguration as president of the United States, Butch Jones announced that he was promoting Tennessee football tight ends coach Larry Scott Larry Scott to the Vols’ new offensive coordinator.

While it was expected, the move angered many fans.

Why would Jones settle for an offensive coordinator with no experience at the spot? Couldn’t he go out and get somebody better?

When Nick Saban is finding superstar coordinators every year, Jones is just promoting within and taking chances on unproven guys.

Now, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about the Scott hire.

But here, we’re going to call for a bit of patience. Perhaps Jones could be onto something. After all, proven coordinator success doesn’t always mean something.

The Clemson Tigers just won a national championship with two co-offensive coordinators who were only in their second year at the position and had no experience as coordinators before Dabo Swinney promoted them.

Not convinced?

Well let’s go back to the 1990s. The Vols’ last two SEC Championships, and national championship, came with a guy named David Cutcliffe. When Phillip Fulmer named him offensive coordinator in 1993, he had never been one anywhere else either.

So as you can see, a coordinator with no proven experience doesn’t have to be a requirement.

Larry Scott, while the jury is completely out, does bring many positives to the position. And we should highlight those before immediately condemning him.

Let’s take a look at four good things Scott brings to the table as Tennessee football’s new offensive coordinator.

Nov 21, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes interim head coach Larry Scott yells out during the second half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

1. Larry Scott’s Background as a Coach

So he technically has not been an offensive coordinator yet. Well, Larry Scott has worn pretty much every other hat on the offensive side of the ball as head coach.

Butch Jones knew that when be brought Scott into the Tennessee football family last year. Now, Scott gets the chance to show himself in a position he certainly appears qualified for.

The guy has coached tight ends, running backs, and offensive linemen in multiple systems.

And of course, he spent time as a head coach, serving as the interim for the Miami Hurricanes. When you take all of that into account, Scott is clearly a proven guy with the right track record, even if he hasn’t worn the offensive coordinator hat yet.

As a head coach, he demonstrated that he could lead a group of men. He understands the nuances of coaching offense having coached three different positions.

And at his roots, he is best coaching tight ends.

Well, the tight end position translates perfectly into being an offensive coordinator because it’s the one position that deals with all aspects of the offense. Scott’s knowledge of the running game is complete with his experience coaching running backs and linemen.

Coaching tight ends helps him with the passing game.

But on top of that, he has some help, and that help is another positive to his hire. It’s a positive that doesn’t deal directly with him but why his position as new offensive coordinator is okay.

And we go to that next.

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fans leaving during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

2. Other Position Coaches on Staff

If Larry Scott was going in guns-blazing as the new Tennessee football offensive coordinator, Vols fans would have plenty of reasons to be concerned.

But with his knowledge of the running game complete, Butch Jones has made sure to surround him with the perfect guys coaching the passing game.

Jones himself has experience in the offense. On top of that, Zach Azzanni is one of the top position coaches you could find anywhere, and he coaches the receivers. Now how long he stays is up for debate since he would also like a promotion, according to many sources, but Jones is his mentor in coaching receivers.

And so either way, the Vols are fine there.

Don Mahoney and Robert Gillespie are still there to coach offensive linemen and running backs respectively as well. So they can add to Scott’s wealth of experience in those areas.

Then there’s the biggest position coach hire Butch Jones made in the offseason, and it’s Mike Canales as quarterbacks coach.

Scott played for Canales for three years when he was South Florida’s offensive coordinator, and then they worked together for three years as assistants at South Florida from 2007 to 2009.

Canales brings the wealth of the passing game experience to the Tennessee football program, and he’ll be there to help Scott along the way. He is a proven quarterbacks coach with success all over the place, and that’s just what Scott needs for support in his new system.

Heck, Canales might be more fit to be offensive coordinator than Scott. But Scott brings something to the table that he doesn’t, which is why this new combo is the perfect match.

Oct 15, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Butch Jones runs on to the field before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

3. Larry Scott’s Familiarity with the offense

Look, Butch Jones has a system, and he doesn’t like to deviate from that system. It’s the system he knows and that he wants to keep installed with Tennessee football.

Mike DeBord was not as familiar with it and had trouble at times, mostly letting Joshua Dobbs bail him out.

However, Larry Scott is much more familiar with Jones’s system.

Scott worked under Greg Gregory as he ran the spread offense at South Florida, then he worked under James Coley and Al Golden as they ran a pro-style offense at Miami.

Combining those two things with his experience coaching the running game, he’s the perfect fit for Jones’s spread offense, which is the spread with physical and pro-style elements, particularly on the offensive line.

Given that fact and the fact that Scott has coached in the offense for a year, he clearly is uniquely familiar with what Jones will want to run.

Had Jones brought in a guy like Mark Helfrich or Tee Martin or even Art Briles, he would be forced to change up the offense in a dramatic way. That wouldn’t work.

However, with Scott, it’s a smooth transition, and he clearly understands the concepts that Jones likes. So as a result, this could definitely work out.

Given Tennessee’s two straight Top 25 finishes, the program is still in the right direction. No reason to blow up your offensive system yet. Look at how long Clemson needed to develop under Dabo Swinney.

He never panicked.

So the Vols are still in decent shape, and Scott allows for some continuity, which is what they need. He also could work out because of who he brings in to coach, which is our fourth positive of Scott being hired as offensive coordinator.

Sep 24, 2016; Knoxville, TN, USA; General view of the Tennessee Volunteers running through the T before the game against the Florida Gators at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

4. Recruiting

This is one of the reasons that bringing Larry Scott on was a huge deal from the start for Tennessee football. Butch Jones knew his track record and his background, which was entirely in the state of Florida.

We said last year that Scott brings a huge recruiting pipeline into the state of Florida.

Working at South Florida and Miami along with spending time as a high school coach, Scott had clearly developed a working relationship with many of the high schools in that state. So he is a huge asset to getting guys out of Florida anyway, which is always a plus.

Now, as offensive coordinator, he can throw his influence around a lot more. Scott will be recruiting kids to come play directly for him, at least on the offensive side of the ball.

And that’s a major bonus as opposed to him just being a position coach.

Scott’s connections will go further in the Sunshine State, and Tennessee football has a much better chance to bring in speed guys and the right personnel to help Butch Jones’s offense thrive.

He also showed this past year his ability to recruit nationally, so the Vols are just in much better shape overall with Scott to reach out to the talent.

Combining that with his leadership qualities, his background, his assistants, and his ability to coach the offense, there are many reasons this can work out.

And Tennessee football could get back into the Top 5 in recruiting on a yearly basis.

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