KNOXVILLE – A.J. Artis’ timing wasn’t necessarily ideal. His first crack at overseeing Tennessee football’s strength & conditioning program came this spring after former program head Craig Fitzgerald left to fill a similar position with the NFL’s New York Giants. Since he left in March, Artis assumed command after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. All sports and all on-campus athletic activities were shut down during that time.
The unprecedented circumstances created a tricky new degree of difficulty for someone in Artis’ position.
Safe to say that he managed rather nicely.
Artis’ promotion to permanent head of the program was made official on Monday. His official title is director of football sports performance.
“I will give my all to our student-athletes and the Tennessee football program,” he said in an athletic department release. “I am excited for this opportunity and look forward to helping Vol football continue its resurgence.”
With the latter thought in mind, the Vols added another commitment – tight end Hudson Wolfe – to their 2021 recruiting class on Monday. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 240 pounds, Wolfe is from Savannah, Tn., and plays for Hardin County High. He’s rated a four-star prospect and is the ninth-ranked tight end nationally, according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings.
Artis won’t be a recruiter so much he will be a motivator. He introduced himself further via a video posted on UT football’s Twitter account, saying that he will bring “leadership and a hard-work ethic” to the weight room. His workplace - along with the strain and emotion the players invest there – served as the video’s backdrop.
“I will give (the players) everything that I have,” Artis said. “My coaching style is being me. If I’ve got to get hyped, I’ve got to get hyped. If I’ve got to be in their face, I’ve got to be in their face.
“We’re going to demand excellence. The standard is still the standard and we will not shortchange ourselves for greatness.”
Judging by the video, Artis has sufficient energy for the job. His familiarity with the program, for the time being anyway, might be his best asset, however. The players have just returned to begin voluntary offseason workouts on campus.
Artis, a native of North Carolina who turns 27 in August, joined UT’s staff in 2018, after serving three years as an assistant director of strength & conditioning at Duke.
Artis’ staff will consist of Mike Ferrell, Byron Jerideau and Shaq Wilson. They’re all entering their third season at Tennessee as well. So even with Fitzgerald gone, the staff is experienced with his methods and philosophy. Therefore, the workouts shouldn’t feel like starting over for the players.
“A.J. understands the standard we expect in this role and will continue to push our strength and conditioning efforts to the forefront of college football,” Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said in the release. “Since he first joined our staff in 2018, he has helped instill physical and mental toughness in our program through his contagious energy, hard work and innovation. Our players have tremendous respect for him, and I have no doubt they will continue to develop under his mentorship.”
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who covered University of Tennessee athletics from 1988-2019. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com.