Butch Jones a dead man walking after Vols choke vs. Florida

The time has come for Tennessee to move on from Butch Jones.

Butch Jones won’t be fired immediately, but the moment Tyrie Cleveland came down with the Hail Mary pass from Feleipe Franks with no time left on the clock to beat Tennessee, he had to know his time in Knoxville was fleeting. Tennessee fans will never forget this loss and the pressure from fans and boosters will be too great for him to remain in this position next season.

I used to be a big fan of Jones and championed the hire when he left Central Michigan after winning a pair of Big East titles. Jones has recruited well and rejuvenated a passionate fan base that was ready to rebuild and win again after the failures of the Derek Dooley era. His ability to restock the roster with four and five-star prospects also came with higher expectations. It just hasn’t worked out. Jones hasn’t been able to live up to the expectations and develop the talent he’s recruited.

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The biggest concern with Jones is his inability to adapt to his personnel, like starting Justin Worley over Josh Dobbs, Nathan Peterman and Riley Ferguson. Or last year when Jalen Hurd remained the starting running back despite the presence of Alvin Kamara, who is now the defacto starting running back over Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram for the New Orleans Saints.

Expectations are high. Fans want to win. They don’t want to be patient. They can’t stomach losing to Florida 12 out of 13 years and they don’t want to settle for mediocrity. They shouldn’t and that’s why many fans are calling for Jones to be fired.

Not only was the loss one that will stick in the minds of Tennessee football fans for the rest of their lives and be the first push out the door for Jones, but it also came on the heels of Memphis pulling off a mild upset over No. 25 UCLA. Their neighbors to the west beat UCLA and Josh Rosen behind five touchdown passes from former Tennessee quarterback Riley Ferguson. Tennessee could have used him today vs. Florida but he got to flourish in Mike Norvell’s offense for Memphis. How is it that American Athletic Conference program is able to hire Justin Fuente and Mike Norvell in recent years but Tennessee gets Butch Jones? That’s the question being asked among many Vols tonight.

Tennessee could have used him today vs. Florida but he got to flourish in Mike Norvell’s offense for Memphis. How is it that American Athletic Conference program is able to hire Justin Fuente and Mike Norvell in recent years but Tennessee gets Butch Jones? That’s the question being asked among many Vols tonight.

Next: Coaches on the hot seat

Jones has a 32-22 record after Saturday’s loss to Florida. He’s 9-8 in his last two-plus seasons in the SEC so he hasn’t “gotten over a hump” or shown signs of on-field progress. Fine recruiter but a below-average in-game coach and that ultimately will be his legacy when his time at Tennessee comes to an end, which very well may come at the end of November.

I don’t think Jones will be fired during the season and he’ll get a chance to see if the Vols can rebound and recover from this gut-punch of a loss. But the writing is on the wall. Jones is a dead man walking.

Tennessee can do better.