Todd Fitch is in his first season at Vanderbilt after spending four years as offensive coordinator for Louisiana Tech.
Fitch was hired by head coach Derek Mason to serve as the Commodores’ offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2020.
Mason was relieved of his duties Nov. 29 and Fitch is serving as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
Tennessee will play at Vanderbilt Saturday. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. EST with SEC Network televising the contest.
Fitch coached alongside Ohio State head coach Ryan Day at Boston College.
Day served as Boston College’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, while Fitch oversaw wide receivers and was the Golden Eagles’ passing game coordinator from 2013-14.
Ahead of Vanderbilt playing Tennessee, Fitch discussed his time coaching alongside Day.
“Any time you work next to somebody like that, you pick up things,” Fitch said of Day. “Ryan and I were close, got to be pretty good friends, in that situation.
“Some of the things we do in the run game are very similar. We have adapted here with the use of our tight ends more than I did at Louisiana Tech.”
When Fitch was named interim head coach at Vanderbilt he contacted Day.
Day has experience serving as an interim head coach when he filled in for Urban Meyer during the 2018 season at Ohio State. Day served as the Buckeyes’ interim head coach for three games before becoming head coach in 2019.
“He is one of the guys I called when all of this happened because he was the interim coach there for Coach Meyer for a short time,” Fitch said of Day. “He and I had a quick visit about some things, so certainly things you pull from every coach you are around and Ryan is no different.”
Maine head coach Nick Charlton served as a graduate assistant at Boston College alongside Day and Fitch.
Charlton previously joined the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” and discussed his career and coaching at Boston College.
Charlton coaches similar principles to Day and Fitch, with means of attacking the middle and having shallow crossing routes. His offense also features a physical running game that allows for two tight end sets. The offense also has power and zone-gap run schemes.
The show with Charlton can be listened to here or below.
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