Todd Watson – Syndication Server

Vols’ Director of Football Programming to serve as special assistant to Nick Saban

Vols’ Director of Football Programming to serve as special assistant to Nick Saban.

Todd Watson spent the last three seasons at Tennessee.

Watson served as Tennessee’s Director of Football Operations from 2018-19 and the Vols’ Director of Football Programming in 2020.

He will join Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama in 2021.

Watson will serve as a special assistant to the head coach.

“Todd has a long history as a successful high school coach in Alabama and more recently in the college game on the operations side,” Saban said. “We are excited to add his knowledge and experience to our staff.

“Todd has always been someone we have had the upmost respect for as a person and a coach.”

Watson served as Director of Operations and High School Relations for Troy from 2015-17.

“It is an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to work for the most-storied program in college football history,” Watson said. “My family and I are excited to be back in the great state of Alabama and look forward to being on Coach Saban’s staff.”

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Coaches that could join Tennessee’s staff next season

Coaches that could join Tennessee’s staff next season.

Tennessee (2-4, 2-4 SEC) will host Texas A&M (5-1, 5-1 SEC) Saturday at Neyland Stadium (3:30 p.m. EST).

The Vols look to end a four-game losing streak after opening the 2020 campaign with wins at South Carolina and against Missouri.

With four contests remaining in a 10-game, SEC-only regular season schedule, the coaching carousel will start to take place. Jeremy Pruitt has made changes to his staff following each season that he has been Tennessee’s head coach over the last three years.

Staff changes are part of the business, and one that can help strengthen a program from a coaching, development and recruiting standpoint.

Vols Wire previously highlighted when contracts end for Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer, Pruitt and Tennessee’s nine on-field assistants. The NCAA permits ten on-field assistants as Pruitt will fill a vacant defensive line coaching position after relieving Jimmy Brumbaugh of his duties following a Week 4 loss to Kentucky.

Offensive line coach Will Friend, wide receivers coach Tee Martin and inside linebackers coach Brian Niedermeyer are signed through Jan. 31, 2021.

With three coaches set to have expiring contracts following the season, and a vacant defensive line position to fill, Vols Wire takes a look at potential candidates that could join Pruitt’s staff in 2021.

NEXT: Coaches that could join Pruitt’s 2021 staff

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‘Inside and out’ look at Todd Watson as Vols’ interim defensive line coach

‘Inside and out’ look at Todd Watson as Vols’ interim defensive line coach.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee will kick off the second half of its 2020 season Saturday at Arkansas. The Vols travel to Fayetteville following an open date last week.

Tennessee entered the season having six offensive assistant coaches, while having four on defense. The NCAA permits ten on-field assistant coaches per staff.

Following a 34-7 loss to Kentucky in Week 4, Jeremy Pruitt relieved Jimmy Brumbaugh of his duties coaching Tennessee’s defensive line. Pruitt will oversee the unit for the remainder of the season.

Parting ways with Brumbaugh has created Tennessee’s defense to have three on-field assistant coaches: Derrick Ansley (defensive coordinator/defensive backs), Shelton Felton (outside linebackers) and Brian Niedermeyer (inside linebackers).

Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire

Todd Watson is in his his third season at Tennessee under Pruitt, serving as Director of Football Programming.

Pruitt and Watson worked together at Hoover High School in 2004 under head coach Rush Propst. Watson served as defensive coordinator, while Pruitt was defensive backs coach for Propst.

Following Tennessee’s off week, Propst discussed if someone like Watson is a good option in becoming an interim defensive line coach for the remainder of the season, helping Pruitt from an on-field staff perspective.

“Todd Watson is a quality football coach and Jeremy has probably thought about that, but he is there everyday and he knows what Todd does in a day in and day out basis,” Propst said on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days.”

“I am sure Jeremy has thought about that inside and out,” Propst continued. “Todd is a very good football coach, they worked together when they worked for me, now Todd has been with Jeremy for quite some time. I am sure that he has thought about that.

“I think you have to look at Jeremy’s situation, too. A lot of times you do not want to rob Peter to pay Paul, so he has to measure what Todd is actually doing for him. He maybe doing something for Jeremy that he can’t afford for Todd to go be an assistant coach at that position that could affect him in another area of his football program.”

Propst mentioned that it is wise for Pruitt to not make multiple changes within his program during the season.

“I learned this along time ago — you don’t make multiple moves,” Propst said. “You minimize the damage. You try to cover up what you can cover up, but don’t maximize the damage by making multiple moves.”

The entire show with Propst can be listened to here or below.

Tennessee Two-A-Days · Rush Propst – 2020 Week 7 Tennessee-Arkansas

Shelton Felton is part of a coaching tree that Vols ‘will have their pick’ of recruits

Shelton Felton is part of a coaching tree that Vols ‘will have their pick’ of recruits.

KNOXVILLE — Shelton Felton takes on his first career position coaching job at the Power Five level during the 2020 season.

Felton was hired as Tennessee’s outside linebackers coach during the offseason. He returns to Tennessee after spending the 2018 campaign as a defensive quality control analyst in Jeremy Pruitt’s first season as the Vols’ head coach.

Felton left Tennessee in 2019 to serve as outside linebackers and defensive line coach at Akron.

Shelton Felton’s coaching history

2005-09: Crisp County (Ga.) High School, Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2010-12: Dooly County (Ga.) High School, Defensive Coordinator
2013-14: Colquitt County (Ga.) High School, Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line
2015-16: Crisp County (Ga.) High School, Head Coach
2017: Chattanooga, Assistant Head Coach/Outside Linebackers
2018: Tennessee, Defensive Quality Control Analyst
2019: Akron, Outside Linebackers/Defensive Line
2020-present: Tennessee, Outside Linebackers

During Tennessee’s third week of fall training camp ahead of the 2020 season, Felton met with media for the first time and discussed returning to Rocky Top and reuniting with Pruitt.

Felton said he and Pruitt “developed a relationship through recruiting.”

“Getting the QC position, knowing Coach Pruitt for a long time, I worked with Rush Propst, I knew him through Coach Propst and I knew him through Georgia, Florida State and I have been blessed to have players that have been able to play in the SEC and he gave me a call when I was at Chattanooga and it was a no-brainer,” Felton said of working for Pruitt. “To be on this staff — to be part of this tree, how could you say no to it.”

Colquitt County coach Rush Propst runs onto the field moments after Colquitt County defeated Archer in the Class AAAAAA state high school football championship, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2014 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jason Getz)

Felton served as an assistant to Propst at Colquitt County High School from 2013-14. Pruitt was defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for Propst at Hoover High School from 2004-06.

Propst is now in his first season as head coach at Valdosta High School. Propst previously discussed Tennessee’s recruiting pipeline to Valdosta as he hired two of Felton’s former assistants.

“I’ve hired two of his guys in Jeff Kent as defensive coordinator,” Propst said on the show “Tennessee Two-A-Days” of hiring Felton’s former assistants. “He worked for me in 2017 and 2018, and worked for Felton at Crisp County. Seneric McCurdy is our special teams coordinator and defensive line guy who worked for Shelton.

“He stays in contact with us constantly about these kids. I would imagine Tennessee will have their pick because of the relationship with Shelton, Jeremy and Todd (Watson), the guys I’ve got at Tennessee. Obviously they will be in the mix for kids at Valdosta. Jeremy has recruited this school and has built a lot of contacts in the city of Valdosta, so I think from a Tennessee perspective, Tennessee is always going to be welcome to Valdosta High School.”

The entire show with Propst can be listened to here.