KNOXVILLE — University of Tennessee football is rich in tradition and Vols Wire will explore the history of the program by examining each head coach’s tenure at Tennessee.
This installment will focus on the 1899 and 1900 seasons on Rocky Top.
The 1899 season was the first year that Tennessee had a head coach.
J.A. Pierce took the helm for the Vols and was the first full-time head coach hired by the UT Athletic Association. He was a graduate of LaFayette.
In two seasons, Pierce went 9-4-1.
In 1899, the Vols went 6-2, posting a season-opening victory over King College, 11-5.
Tennessee then lost two consecutive games to Virginia Tech and Sewanee. The Vols then reeled off five straight wins as they shut out Kentucky A&M, Georgia, Washington and Lee and Kentucky University.
The Vols outscored their opponents 86-61 that year, but were blanked 51-0 by Sewanee.
In 1900, Tennessee went 3-2-1. The Vols had wins over King College, Grant and Georgetown.
The Vols played in-state rival Vanderbilt to a 0-0 tie. UT lost to Auburn and North Carolina.
Pierce began the tradition of UT football.