Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt runs onto the field during the Gator Bowl game between Tennessee and Indiana at the TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 2, 2020. Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Pair of Tennessee Football Coaches Land on 'Worst Coaching Hires of the 2000s' List

Originally posted on Tennessee Volunteers on SI
By Christian Kirby | Last updated Jul 7, 2025 7:47 AM ET

A pair of Tennessee Football head coaches have landed on the "worst hires of the century" list.

College football is an extremely unique sport where, oftentimes, the prestige of a team's head coach reflects the success on the field. A good hire at the position can set a team up for decades of success. At the same time, a bad hire can create years of embarrassment and failure.

Unfortunately for the Tennessee Volunteers, the team has experienced its fair share of bad hires since the turn of the century. According to CBS Sports, the Vols are home to two of the worst coaching hires since the 2000s.

The first Tennessee coach named to this list was Derek Dooley, who landed at the No. 10 spot on the list. Dooley coached the Volunteers from 2010-2012 and amassed just a 15-21 record. His hire is marked by many as the beginning of the "dark days" for Tennessee Football.

The second Volunteer head coach who was named to this list was Jeremy Pruitt, who was ranked the seventh-worst coaching hire of the century. Pruitt coached the Vols from 2018-2020, and following a litany of suspensions and punishments from the NCAA, his win/loss record currently sits at just 5-19.

While the Vols have missed on some crucial hires since the turn of the century, the team has appeared to have made the correct selection with current head coach Josh Heupel, who has elevated the team to heights unseen for nearly 20 years.

Under Heupel, Tennessee has consistently remained in the top 15 and has even made a College Football Playoff appearance. The Vols' 2025 season could prove to be another success story for the head coach as the team looks to earn back-to-back playoff appearances.