Butch Jones appears to be just one major grab away from completing his first coaching staff at Tennessee.  The new Vol head coach is making a sales pitch in Knoxville today to ex-Tennessee player and current Southern Cal receivers coach Tee Martin.

Martin quarterbacked the Vols to the 1998 BCS championship.  After serving under Joker Phillips at Kentucky as an assistant in 2010 and 2011, Martin packed his bags for LA to work with Lane Kiffin in 2012 (which had to curdle some milk in the Volunteer State).

If Jones can land Martin, he’ll prove to doubting UT fans that he can at least do two very important things:

1.  Recruit well enough to bring a favorite son home

2.  Hurt Kiffin’s staff

Both would please a UT fanbase that was less than happy when Jones was hired last Friday.  The Knoxville News Sentinel looks at the rest of Tennessee’s staff here.

1. Former Tennessee assistant Pat Washington is reportedly headed to Kentucky to replace former Tennessee player Tee Martin.

2. What’s the fate of Florida tight end A.C. Leonard?  Ninth arrest in 14 months under Will Muschamp.

3. Mike Bianchi: “It will be absolutely shocking if Gators coach Will Muschamp doesn’t dismiss sophomore tight end A.C. Leonard from the team for the latest in the perpetual string of embarrassing UF arrests.”

4. Expect the AD search at Ole Miss to kick into high gear. School releases details on contracts of five assistant coaches.

5. Jon Solomon: “The NCAA’s multiyear scholarship rule, even if it’s more symbolic than substantive, is one whose time had come again.”

6. What a difference a year makes.  Mark Richt can now joke about the “hot seat.”

7. “Arkansas’ schedule sets up well for a 2012 run at the SEC West and national title.”

8. Razorbacks and Texas A&M likely won’t see Arlington, Texas again until 2014.

9. LSU at South Carolina.  Tigers need victories for a possible NIT bid and first road win in the SEC.

10. Ole Miss at Kentucky.  Third Thursday/Saturday doubleheader for the Rebels in the last four weeks. Two teams headed in completely opposite directions.

11. Tennessee at Alabama. Crimson Tide have two suspended and three banged up. The “Third Saturday in February.”  Skylar McBee a key weapon for the Vols.

12. Florida at Arkansas.  John Pelphrey returns to Razorback country and the freshman class that was supposed to save his job. Gators face an Arkansas team undefeated at home. Florida players Will Yeguete and Mike Rosario may return.

13. Guaranteed to be an upset?

14. Mississippi State at Auburn.  Can the Bulldogs hold a lead? 14 days ago, these two teams engaged in a shootout.

Extras

15. Inside the NCAA’s mock tournament selection committee process.

16. What’s the point of the NCAA bashing its critics?

17. Can Tim Tebow’s mechanics be corrected?

18. Spring football schedules for all BCS schools.

19.  Texas Supreme Court rejects Mike Leach’s appeal against Texas Tech. Also suing ESPN Inc.

1.  New offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler is trying to figure out what Auburn’s scheme/system will be in 2012.

2.  After playing with smallish linebackers last season, new D-coordinator Brian VanGorder wants the Tigers to find bigger ‘backers moving forward.

3.  Arkansas’ Mike Anderson wants to find some answers to his team’s road woes.

4.  The Hogs have handed out their bowl bonuses, but some departed coaches got ‘em while others did not.

5.  Add LSU’s Trent Johnson to the list of people who missed out on current NBA sensation Jeremy Lin.

6.  Here’s more on how some Ole Miss fans showed their displeasure with their hoops team last night… and earned a technical in the process.

7.  MSU’s Andrew Moultrie (shoulder injury) is probable for tomorrow’s game with Auburn, but Renardo Sidney (back spasms) is questionable.

8.  Arrested on a domestic battery charge, Florida tight end AC Leonard has been suspended by Will Muschamp.

9.  How’s this for an early breakdown: This writer points out that Georgia’s top cornerback will be suspended when the Dawgs face Missouri and #1 receiver signee Dorial Green-Beckham.  (Avoid the rush, worry early.)

10.  So now there are some in the Peach State who believe Mark Richt is being too tough on crime?

11.  This columnist says football assistant Tee Martin’s defection to Southern Cal hurts Kentucky on two fronts.

12.  South Carolina officials are meeting with the NCAA today… hoping that their self-imposed sanctions will fend off further punishment.

13.  Here’s a breakdown of how NCAA hearings work.  (Example: If a coach is thrown into the water and he floats, he’s a witch.)

14.  Tennessee AD Dave Hart says he’s happy to get exposure from the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

15.  Oddly enough, UT’s last Friday game was a 13-0 win over NC State back in 1939.

16.  Vanderbilt obliterated Ole Miss with a red-hot shooting touch last night.

Lane Kiffin did a number on Tee Martin’s alma mater, Tennessee.  Now he’s doing a number on Kentucky by nabbing Martin from Joker Phillips’ coaching staff.

Martin — considered an up-and-coming coach and recruiter — has texted a number of media outlets to let them know he would be departing Lexington for Los Angeles.  He will replace Ted Gilmore on Kiffin’s staff at Southern Cal.

A UK spokesperson said Phillips and AD Mitch Barnhart “tried very hard” to keep Martin.  But to no avail.

1.  In our view, there are too many college football awards and therefore too many preseason awards watch lists.  Having said that, Florida defensive lineman Jaye Howard has made a whopping four watch lists this summer.

2.  Academically ineligible Georgia tailback Caleb King is indeed entering the NFL supplemental draft.

3.  It looks like UGA has its 2012 football schedule set.

4.  North Carolina’s Roy Williams says he’d be open to playing South Carolina more regularly.  (Not that Darrin Horn needs more dates with top roundball powers these days.)

5.  According to the player, Steve Spurrier isn’t renewing the scholarship of kick returner Bryce Sherman.

6.  Kentucky receivers’ coach Tee Martin says his time as Tennessee’s quarterback is still “special.”

Yesterday Kentucky unveiled new football uniforms for the 2011 season.  Not surprisingly, Nike saw fit to toss in a little something odd on the sleeves of the jerseys — a checkerboard pattern saluting the 1973 racing silks of Secretariat.  Oh.

Well, UK had better hope recruits like what they see in the new duds because, believe it or not, their coaches say some guys choose their college destination base on uni design.  “I can’t tell you how many times recruits hit me on Twitter or Facebook asking what (the new uniforms) are going to look like,” receivers coach Tee Martin told The Lexington Herald-Leader. 

Yeah, but do some prospects really pick their school based on the uniform?  Joker Phillips says yes:


“I hate to say it, but some do.  I have lost a player, way back when, on a color of a uniform.  That’s where we are.  You gotta understand it.  You gotta go with it.  Hopefully this uniform gives us an edge on some folks.”


First guess — The Cats will do well with recruits who follow horse racing or enjoy board games.

It’s the middle of basketball season and yet folks in Kentucky actually have a little reason to smile about football today.  Over the weekend, the powers-that-be at UK stepped up to the plate and did what it took to keep receivers coach Tee Martin in Lexington.

Martin had been rumored to be a hot candidate to join Nick Saban’s Alabama staff until Saturday when UK announced that Martin had been promoted to the role of “passing game coordinator.”  He will also receive a contract extension and a raise.

Reports late last week pointed to an interview between Martin and Saban later this week.  Martin has said that he was contacted by other schools but never actually interviewed with anyone.

Granted, we’re talking about giving an assistant coach a raise.  This move isn’t akin to Arkansas committing to a $25-35 million football complex to appease Bobby Petrino.  But it is a smart move by UK’s administration.

“Operation Win” turned into a disappointing 6-7 campaign for first-year coach Joker Phillips.  The Wildcats failed to step up in a year when the SEC East was down.  In addition, they had to watch South Carolina break through in the East.  Then came the umpteenth (or would that now be umptieth?) loss in a row to Tennessee and a miserable showing in something called the BBVA Compass Bowl in chilly Birmingham.

The only positive going for the Cats right now is the popular Martin who is viewed as a fast up-and-comer and an excellent recruiter.  On top of everything that went wrong in 2010, UK couldn’t start 2011 by losing the one guy fans are actually excited about.

“First thing I would like to say is the commitment of Mitch Barnhart and our athletic department has made to this program,” Phillips said Saturday.  “Yes, we have been to five straight bowl games, and that is fine, but we want to start talking about playing for titles.  that is what we are about here at Kentucky.  Our ahtletic department has made a huge commitment also in helping us keep our assistant coaches here.  This is probably one of the biggest recruits to land before (signing day) is Tee Martin.”

Indeed he is.  Especially from a fan morale standpoint.

UK has not revealed the details of Martin’s extension or raise.  As passing game coordinator he will be responsible for passing game schemes and heading up passing drills in practice.

Rumors and web reports continue to connect Kentucky receivers coach Tee Martin to the vacant receivers coach and recruiting coordinator position at Alabama.

Last night, BamaOnLine.com — the Rivals site covering Alabama — reported that Martin is at the top of Nick Saban’s list.  According to the site, Martin will interview with Bama next week.

The folks at FootballRumorMill.com also tweeted last evening:


“We continue to hear Tee Martin is a very strong candidate to become the new WR coach at Alabama.”


Martin is a native of Mobile, Alabama.  He has been at Kentucky for one season.

And a few more leftovers for you on this Black Friday:

1.  Urban Meyer wishes his freshman class had developed more quickly.

2.  Andre Debose might miss tomorrow’s FSU game with a sprained ankle.

3.  If Jimbo Fisher hadn’t come to FSU several years ago, Lane Kiffin might have… and the Gators might be facing Lil’ Lane tomorrow.

4.  Georgia’s defenders are worried about cut blocks against Georgia Tech.

5.  Washaun Ealey and Caleb King will look to run all over Tech just as they did last year.

6.  Trey Thompkins made a surprise return, but Notre Dame still slipped past Georgia 89-83 in double-overtime at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando.

7.  Kentucky wants to avoid yet another slow start when they face Tennessee tomorrow.

8.  UK receivers coach Tee Martin says his homecoming to Knoxville will be “strange.”

9.  John Calipari says he has to do a better job of coaching Brandon Knight.

10.  Despite criticisim, Stephen Garcia has become a solid quarterback for South Carolina.

11.  Steve Spurrier expects Clemson to put a lot of guys near the line of scrimmage to stop Marcus Lattimore.

12.  The Gamecocks should have cornerback Stephon Gilmore on the field tomorrow.

13.  Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney believes he might’ve asked Tyler Bray to do too much in the quarterback’s third start last week.

14.  UK’s Randall Cobb will be back in Neyland Stadium on Saturday… where he once sold hot dogs.

15.  Tennessee will face #7 Villanova in the finals of the NIT Season Tip-Off Today.

16.  This writer believes Robbie Caldwell is a good man, but he is “in over his head” as an SEC head coach and needs to go.

17.  Vandy’s starting quarterback against Wake Forest will be a game time decision.

Content provided by John Clay’s Sidelines.

Kentucky wide receivers coach Tee Martin talks about his trip back to Tennessee, where he led the Vols to a national title.

UK offensive coordinator Randy Sanders, himself a Tennessee grad, talks about trip back to Knoxville.