by special report to The Chattanoogan
posted November 29, 2006
WACO, Texas -- The American Football Coaches Association announced Wednesday that Tennessee’s John Chavis is the organization’s 2006 Division I-A Assistant Coach of the Year. Chavis is one of five coaches in the different divisions of college football to be selected for dedication to their teams and communities.
“It’s a great honor to be selected,” Chavis said. “Anytime you’re recognized by your peers it’s special, it’s truly special. The people in this profession know what’s happening on a daily basis and they see things other people don’t see. They’re in the same battles we are in, and to be recognized by your peers is the greatest compliment that can be paid.
“It also shows what we’ve been able to do here at Tennessee through the years. Obviously, we have a great staff to work with in Dan Brooks, Steve Caldwell and Larry Slade, and Coach Fulmer brings it all together. This award reflects what they’ve done as well as what I’ve done.”
Working through a lineup decimated by off-season departures and early season injuries, Chavis and the defensive staff helped return the Vols to Southeastern Conference championship contention in 2006. UT enters the bowl season 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the SEC, good enough for second place in the Eastern Division after a 5-6 overall finish one year ago.
Off a defense that finished first in the league in 2005 and second nationally with a rushing unit that allowed just 82.5 yards per game, Tennessee lost seven starters to graduation and another to early departure for the NFL. In addition to cornerback Roshaun Fellows’ decision to undergo shoulder surgery, Tennessee then lost two additional starters in Justin Harrell and Inquoris Johnson to season-ending injuries in September.
Still, UT has a chance for its fourth 10-win season in the last six years.
“I think the biggest thing is the players we’ve had to coach,” Chavis said. “We’ve had the opportunity to coach a lot of outstanding athletes, a lot of guys who have performed well for us. It’s a great achievement for me but, ultimately, there are a lot of people who have a big part in this.”
Chavis, 50, is in his 18th year as an assistant coach at Tennessee and 28th overall. He began his coaching career at Tennessee in 1979 as a graduate assistant, then moved to Alabama A&M from 1980-83 as a defensive line coach. Chavis moved to defensive coordinator at Alabama State from 1984-85, then returned to Alabama A&M as defensive coordinator in 1986 and built a unit that ranked No. 1 in total defense in Division II from 1987-88.
He returned to his alma mater, Tennessee, in 1989 and took on responsibilities of the defensive line and linebackers. Chavis was promoted to defensive coordinator in 1995 and has produced some of the stingiest defenses in college football. Since 1995, Chavis’ defenses have held their opponents below a 100-yard rushing average in six seasons, and eight times during that span the Vols have ranked among the top three in the SEC in total defense.
The coaching combination of Fulmer, Chavis and offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe has produced a 76-14 (.844) record at Tennessee.
Other finalists for the Division I-A award were Tyrone Nix of South Carolina and Charlie Stubbs of Tulsa. Honorees from the other divisions are: Division I-AA–Sam Eddy, Youngstown State; Division II–Mike Terwilliger, East Stroudsburg; Division III–Jeff Wojtowicz, Mount Union; and NAIA–Colby Hensley, Kansas Wesleyan.
The Assistant Coach of the Year award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement.
“Once again, five outstanding assistant coaches have been selected for their dedication, not only to their teams, but to their communities,” said AFCA executive director Grant Teaff. “Often times, the head coach receives much of the credit for his team’s success. Any head coach is only as good as his assistants. Much of an assistant coach’s work is done behind the scenes. It is our pleasure to bring it to the forefront.”
The criteria for the award are not limited to on-field coaching ability and the success of the team and players that these assistant coaches have worked with. Service to the community through charitable work and other volunteer activities, participation in AFCA activities and events, participation in other professional organizations and impact on student-athletes are all taken into account in the selection process.
Winners of the Assistant Coach of the Year award will receive a plaque to commemorate the award and an educational stipend to the 2007 AFCA Convention or any other professional development clinic/convention of their choice. They will be honored at the AFCA Kickoff Luncheon on Jan. 8 during the 2007 AFCA Convention in San Antonio.
HALL OF FAMER KELL SET FOR BIG WEEKEND OF HONORS
KNOXVILLE -- Tennessee's newly elected Hall of Fame member Chip Kell starts out a weekend of honors culminating in his induction into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in New York City.
Honors begin on Friday night in Atlanta at the SEC Legends dinner at the Hyatt Regency on the eve of the SEC Championship Game. Kell, who is representing the University of Tennessee, will be among the 12 honorees recognized at the dinner and presented on the field before the title tilt at the Georgia Dome on Saturday.
The former standout offensive lineman will fly to New York after the game for the 49th Annual Awards Dinner for the Hall of Fame in the Grand Ballroom at The Waldorf-Astoria on Tuesday.
The powerful lineman will be the 21st former Vol to earn admission to the Hall of Fame. The Decatur, Ga., native ranks as one of the Vols' best road-pavers in school history, and Kell is the most recent UT lineman to earn the Jacobs Award for the best blocker in the SEC twice.
Kell also was a two-time All-America and was an All-SEC selection in each of his three seasons at UT. He helped lead the Vols to 28 wins during his career, which he capped with a 34-13 blowout win over Air Force in the 1971 Sugar Bowl.
He anchored a crew that opened holes allowing running back Curt Watson to pace the Vols attack for three seasons -- including an 807-yard campaign in 1969. The following season the Vols rushed for 2,365 yards, the highest output in 19 years for UT. The offensive line also was integral in turning the Vols offense into a dynamic group that also set a school record for passing yards (1,996).
"Chip Kell was one of the most powerful athletes I ever coached," Doug Dickey, Kell's coach for his first two campaigns, said earlier this year. "He was way ahead of his time in development by use of weight training, and he became a true leader on the football team."
Kell led the Vols to an SEC championship in 1969 and helped them finish No. 4 in the nation the following year. UT lost just five games during Kell's three years -- none of which came on Shields-Watkins Field.
He was drafted in the 17th round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1971 NFL Draft, and Kell played for two seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos in the CFL before starting his coaching career.
FORMER VOLS HONORED AS SEC FOOTBALL LEGENDS
1994 - Bob Johnson
1995 - Doug Atkins
1996 - Condredge Holloway
1997 - John Michels
1998 - Richmond Flowers
1999 - Steve Kiner
2000 - Steve DeLong
2001 - Stanley Morgan
2002 - Johnny Majors
2003 - Reggie White
2004 - Frank Emanuel
2005 - Larry Seivers
2006 - Chip Kell
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)
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