Ex-USC OC Tee Martin to reportedly join staff Tennessee

Former USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin is reportedly set to join the staff at Tennessee, though his role for the Volunteers is unknown.

Tennessee is closing in on hiring former USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin, according to a report from ESPN.

“Martin, the former USC offensive coordinator, has reached an agreement with coach Jeremy Pruitt to join the Vols’ offensive staff, sources told ESPN. Contract details and his title are still being finalized. An official announcement could come as early as Tuesday,” Chris Low reported late Monday night.

The Volunteers currently have a wide receivers coach, David Johnson, but he has been linked to Auburn’s wide receivers’ job. If he is indeed being drawn away, Martin would be a perfect fit there.

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New offensive coordinator Jim Chaney, who is replacing former USC QB coach Tyson Helton, has been a quarterbacks coach, so it’s unlikely Martin is being brought in for that particular role role.

It is interesting to note Martin apparently considered job offers from Alabama, Auburn, Louisville, Maryland and Vanderbilt, according to Low. If rumors of Steve Sarkisian returning to Alabama as offensive coordinator are accurate, the Tide would have presented a possible reunion.

Instead, Martin has gone back to where it all began for him. He was a national title-winning quarterback for the Volunteers in 1998. He played under head coach Phillip Fulmer in college. Fulmer is now the athletic director at Tennessee.

When Martin was demoted from his playcalling duties, there was some hope around USC that he might stay on in Los Angeles as wide receivers coach while the Trojans moved in a different direction at offensive coordinator. His recruiting prowess would have been reason enough to keep him. Of course, that hope was dashed when he was removed from the staff after the end of the disappointing 2018 season.

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Martin is the first of USC’s axed assistants to find a new home. The Trojans also parted ways with offensive line coach Neil Callaway, defensive line coach Kenechi Udeze and defensive backs coach Ronnie Bradford, but both are still on the job hunt apparently.

In a positional sense, Martin has been replaced by Keary Colbert, who was USC’s tight ends coach in 2018 but will handle wide receivers going forward. However, the Trojans are still searching for an offensive coordinator replacement after losing Kliff Kingsbury to the NFL as the Arizona Cardinals’ new head coach.