Tennessee Closing in on Hiring Greg Schiano as Next Head Coach

Greg Schiano built Rutgers up from nothing; Tennessee is hoping he can do the same thing.

Tennessee and Greg Schiano are in extensive talks about making the Ohio State defensive coordinator the Vols’ new head coach, multiple sources told SI Sunday. Some details about the possible transition are still being discussed. Among them is that Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer wants Schiano to be part of Ohio State’s Big Ten Championship Game this weekend.

The 51-year-old Schiano did an amazing job turning a dismal Rutgers program into a respectable one, posting a 68–67 record in 11 years including bowl games in six of his final seven seasons, before he jumped to the NFL to take over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Schiano returned to the college game last year and has become Meyer’s right-hand man. He had an exemplary academic track record with his program at Rutgers, at one point ranking behind only Northwestern in APR, and held the best APR mark of any state university in the nation four years in a row. Years ago Schiano turned down the Michigan job, and he at one time interviewed for the USC head coach vacancy.

He went 11–21 in two seasons with the Buccaneers, then spent time working as an analyst for ESPN before returning to coaching.

Tennessee fired Butch Jones on Nov. 12 after the Vols fell to 4–6 and 0–6 against SEC opponents on the season. Jones went 34–27 over five seasons in Knoxville.