HOOVER, Ala. – Jim Chaney’s familiarity with the personnel at Georgia will no doubt be a hot topic of conversation when the Bulldogs travel to Tennessee for their game on Oct. 5.
However, when asked about any advantage the Vols’ new offensive coordinator might provide, Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart doesn’t sound like it will be that big of a deal.
“Jim did a tremendous job for us. I’ve got a great relationship with him. He worked really hard at our place. He helped us develop to where we are, and we wish him nothing but the best. I know he’s going across to one of our rivals, and we understand and respect that,” Smart said. “As for the fact he knows our personnel, I think that the game of football boils down to football players making plays, and there’s not going to be anything that Jim Chaney or myself can do out there on that field that our players aren’t going to control.”
During his three seasons at Georgia, the Bulldogs’ offense went from finishing 11th in the SEC in total offense (385 yards per game), to first in 2017 (435 yards per game) and finished second to Alabama in the category last fall despite averaging 465 yards per contest.
It’s that kind of production Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt would like to have for his Vols, although that could initially be a tough task this fall. Tennessee finished last in the SEC in total offense last fall (326 yards per game), Pruitt feels he’s found his man.
“Jim’s a guy that we coached against when I was an assistant coach at Alabama and he was at Tennessee, and they gave us a lot of problems,” Pruitt said. “Obviously, when he went to Georgia, going against him--you know the guys you go against in the league who give you problems, who don’t, or vice versa.”
Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano is excited with what he’s seen so far.
Guarantano’s first season as starter for the Vols was filled with its share of ups and downs as Tennessee finished 11th with the current redshirt junior completing 153 of 246 passes for 1,907 yards and 12 touchdowns, albeit with just three interceptions.
The New Jersey native spent the spring getting to know his new offensive coordinator, and apparently a connection has already been made.
“We only had one spring together, but it has been very impactful and a very good spring for us,” Guarantano said. “Throughout the spring, it had been a lot of different things with terminology and offense. I am starting to get the hang of it. I'm really happy he is here. He has a lot of success through his track record, and I'm definitely excited about that. I'm excited he is also my offensive coordinator.”
Pruitt obviously feels the same and feels the Volunteers will reap the benefits of his knowledge soon.
“I think it’s really important in this league that you know who you’re going against. There are some really, really good defensive minds in this league, and it helps to have experience against him,” Pruitt said. “Jim understands the University of Tennessee. He coached there before, so when it came to hiring an offensive coordinator, I could think of nobody else I’d rather hire than Jim Chaney.”
