No. 10: 2017
Head Coach: Butch Jones
Record: 4-8 (0-8, SEC)
Best win(s): vs. Georgia Tech
Key offensive players: John Kelly, Trey Smith, Marquez Callaway
Key defensive players: Micah Abernathy, Darrell Taylor, Rashaan Gaulden
Butch Jones went into year five as Tennessee’s head coach in a cloud of disappointment. The 2016 season did not end as fans had hoped, with late-season losses knocking Tennessee out of SEC championship and Sugar Bowl contention.
The Vols had also lost an abundance of talent. Stars such as Joshua Dobbs, Alvin Kamara, Derek Barnett and Cam Sutton had moved on to start their NFL careers. Fans and media were not sure what direction the 2017 team would take.
Junior Quinten Dormady had beaten out redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano for the starting role at quarterback heading into a Monday night matchup against Georgia Tech in the recently-opened Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. A breakout performance from Marquez Callaway and John Kelly on offense, along with defensive heroics from linebacker Daniel Bituli, defensive end Darrell Taylor and defensive lineman Paul Bain helped the Vols to a thrilling 42-41 double-overtime win over the Yellow Jackets in comeback fashion.
Two games later, Tennessee met Florida in Gainesville.
Kelly continued his dominant early-season run, compiling 237 total yards and a touchdown. Tennessee sputtered in critical goal-line situations with questionable play-calling, but somehow found itself tying the game at 20-20 with less than a minute left. Overtime appeared inevitable.
Florida did not need overtime, as the Gators connected on a Hail Mary with time expiring for a backbreaking Tennessee loss, 26-20. As it often does, the Florida result set the tone for the rest of Tennessee’s season. The Vols would go winless in SEC play, setting new lows in program history. Tennessee was rarely competitive in conference games with a revolving door at quarterback, and was only able to squeak out uninspiring wins over Indiana State, UMass and Southern Miss to finish 4-8. Butch Jones was fired after a 50-17 loss to Missouri, and assistant Brady Hoke stepped in as the interim for the final two games.
True freshman guard Trey Smith and junior running back John Kelly were rare bright spots for Tennessee. Smith was named to the freshman All-America team as Kelly put together 778 rushing yards and nine touchdowns with his physical running style, along with 299 receiving yards. Kelly was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Defensive back Rashaan Gaulden was taken in the third round by the Carolina Panthers, and defensive lineman Khalil McKenzie was drafted in the sixth round by the Kansas City Chiefs to play offensive line.
This was not just the worst season of the decade, but the worst in program history. An embarrassing month-long saga ensued to find Jones’ replacement, and ended with entirely new leadership both in the athletic department and on the football field. The program was mired in dysfunction and ineptitude.
Legendary former UT head coach Phillip Fulmer took over as Athletic Director following the firing of John Currie. Fulmer hired Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt as Tennessee’s next head coach.