When Larry Scott got the call, he was walking through the Charlotte airport, hurrying to get back home after a recruiting swing through Florida. It was mid-January, and although Tennessee’s then-tight ends coach was only a few hours away from touching down in Knoxville in time for a busy weekend of official visits, this couldn’t wait. Coach Butch Jones wanted Scott to know the news first: He would be promoted to offensive coordinator.
Scott wasn’t the splashy hire many Tennessee fans were looking for, clamoring over coaching hot boards that included the likes of former Oregon coach Mark Helfrich and current USC coordinator Tee Martin.