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Peyton Manning Set To Play ‘Big Role’ In Tennessee’s Head Coach Search

An old tweet Mike White sent about Peyton Manning re-surfaced on Sunday following the Jets' thrilling upset win over Joe Burrow and the Bengals

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 10: Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning on the field before the NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Indianapolis Colts on November 10, 2019 at Lucas Oil Stadium, in Indianapolis, IN. (Photo by Zach Bolinger/Icon Sportswire)

NFL legend Peyton Manning is probably still the most relevant athlete to come out of the Tennessee Volunteer’s program. Even though Manning left Tennessee in the late 90s, he remains an icon for those fans and carries a lot of weight with the football boosters. Hence, why he’s in the news today.

After it was announced that Tennessee fired coach Jeremy Pruitt earlier today, Bruce Feldman of FOX Sports reported that Peyton Manning will play a large role in finding their next head coach.

Peyton Manning does not have a great track record when giving coaching recommendations. Manning backed Adam Gase for the New York Jets, and also spoke highly of the Jeremy Pruitt hire when it was first announced.

“Hey, I’m telling you, the Vols are coming back,” Manning said at the time. “Jeremy Pruitt is the right guy leading the charge and I’m excited about Tennessee football.”

Pruitt will leave Knoxville with an overall record of 13-16, so it seems like Manning dropped the ball on that one.

I think adding Peyton Manning to the coaching search might just be a way for the Volunteers to convince a coach to actually take the job. It’s no secret that Tennessee has been bad for a long time, and they’re no where near being a threat in the SEC. If I’m a coach there’s no way I’m taking that job. Sounds like a dead end.

Maybe Peyton Manning can somehow help Tennessee bring the right guy in to run their program, but it seems like a rather tall task to me.


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