Brian Jean-Mary Named Tennessee Linebackers Coach

Brian Jean-Mary Named Tennessee Linebackers Coach

Posted on February 25, 2021
Brian Jean-Mary / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Brian Jean-Mary, a 21-year coaching veteran who spent the 2020 season as linebackers coach at Michigan, has been named Tennessee’s new linebackers coach, head coach Josh Heupel officially announced on Thursday.

“Brian is a great fit on our defensive staff,” Heupel said. “He has coached defenses that are known for creating negative plays and forcing turnovers. He brings energy, experience and extensive success as a recruiter to Tennessee. Our student-athletes will enjoy playing for him, and we are excited to officially welcome him to Knoxville.”

Prior to Michigan, Jean-Mary served on the defensive staffs at Louisville (2010-13) as assistant head coach/linebackers coach, then at Texas (2014-16) as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. He was the assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at USF from 2017-19.

Jean-Mary, a native of Apopka, Florida, has been a part of four conference championships and 14 bowl games as a coach dating back to his graduate assistant start at Louisville in 2000. As a recruiter, Jean-Mary helped produce a trio of top-15 signing classes at Texas, improving from 15th in 2014 to seventh in 2015 and eighth in 2016. He also had a top-30 class at Louisville in 2011 (27th) and the nation’s 15th-best class at Georgia Tech in 2007.

Jean-Mary’s defenses were consistently among the nation’s best in turnovers created, tackles for loss and pass defense at USF. In his first year, the Bulls were top 25 nationally in six categories, including sacks per game (3.0, 11th) and interceptions (20, second). USF led The American Conference in total defense (359.8) and scoring defense (21.5 points per game), improving from 120th in total defense and 92nd in scoring defense to 37th and 41st, respectively, after Jean-Mary’s arrival. Defensive tackle Deadrin Senat was one of five all-conference defenders before being drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons.

USF forced 69 turnovers across Jean-Mary’s three seasons and ranked top 30 in the FBS in that area twice. The Bulls also ranked top five in tackles for loss per game twice (8.4 and 8.3 per game in 2017, ’19), while ranking No. 4 in red zone defense in 2019 (67.4 percent).

During his time as the linebackers coach at Texas, Jean-Mary developed four All-Big 12 players and an All-American in Jordan Hicks (2014). Texas was top 25 nationally in six categories in 2014, including sacks (11th). The Longhorns averaged more than 3.0 sacks per game in all three years Jean-Mary was at Texas, ranking top-five nationally in his last two seasons.

Texas also led the nation in recovered fumbles (21) in 2014 and ranked 11th in 2015 (12). Hicks was selected in the third round of the 2015 NFL Draft, and Jean-Mary’s former players Lorenzo Mauldin and Deiontrez Mount (from his days at Louisville) were also chosen.

Before Texas, Jean-Mary worked as assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Louisville where the Cardinals won 37 games and two Big East Championships (2011, ’12) across four seasons. UL compiled a 3-1 bowl game record culminating with a victory over No. 4 Florida in the 2013 Sugar Bowl. Louisville’s .885 win percentage (23-3) over the 2012-13 seasons was the fourth-best mark in the country during that time.

Jean-Mary spent six seasons coaching linebackers at Georgia Tech from 2004-09, guiding the defense to top 30 seasons in rushing defense, scoring defense and total defense in five of his six years on staff. The Yellow Jackets led the nation in sacks and ranked second in tackles for loss in 2007 and finished top 20 in both categories the next season as well. In 2009, Georgia Tech went 11-3 with an ACC Championship and went on to appear in the 2010 FedEx Orange Bowl. Linebacker Gerris Wilkinson (2005) and Philip Wheeler (2008) were third-round NFL Draft picks under Jean-Mary.

Jean-Mary got started as a graduate assistant on the strength and conditioning staff at Louisville in 2000 before spending two seasons under Lou Holtz at South Carolina where he was a defensive graduate assistant coach (2001-02). He then got his first full-time coaching job at North Alabama (2003) where he helped the Lions go 13-2, win the Gulf South Conference Championship and clinch a berth in the semifinals of the 2003 NCAA Division II playoffs while allowing 14.1 points per game (sixth nationally).

Jean-Mary earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Appalachian State in 1998. He played linebacker for the Mountaineers from 1993-97. He and his wife, Jerilyn Ardis, have two daughters, Brooke and Brittany.

THE JEAN-MARY FILE    

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: May 24, 1975
Hometown: Apopka, Florida
Education: Appalachian State, 1998 (bachelor’s in political science)
Wife: Jerilyn Ardis
Children: Brooke, Brittany

COACHING HISTORY
2000: Louisville, Graduate Assistant
2001-02: South Carolina, Graduate Assistant
2003: North Alabama, Secondary
2004-09: Georgia Tech, Linebackers
2010-13: Louisville, Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers
2014-16: Texas, Linebackers/Recruiting Coordinator
2017-19: USF, Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
2020: Michigan, Linebackers
2021: Tennessee, Linebackers

CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (4)  
2012 Big East – Louisville (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers)
2011 Big East – Louisville (Assistant Head Coach/Linebackers)
2009 ACC – Georgia Tech (Linebackers)
2003 Gulf South – North Alabama (Secondary)

BOWL GAME APPEARANCES AS A COACH (15) 
2018 Gasparilla Bowl – USF
2017 Birmingham Bowl – USF
2014 Texas Bowl – Texas
2013 Sugar Bowl – Louisville
2013 Russell Athletic Bowl – Louisville
2011 Belk Bowl – Louisville
2010 Beef O’Brady’s Bowl – Louisville
2010 Orange Bowl – Georgia Tech
2008 Chick-fil-A Bowl – Georgia Tech
2007 Humanitarian Bowl – Georgia Tech
2007 Gator Bowl – Georgia Tech
2005 Emerald Bowl – Georgia Tech
2004 Humanitarian Bowl – Georgia Tech
2003 NCAA Division II Playoffs – North Alabama
2002 Outback Bowl – South Carolina
2000 Liberty Bowl – Louisville

-UT Athletics

Highlights/Interviews/Boxscore/Story: Vols Down Vandy in Nashville, 70-58

Highlights/Interviews/Boxscore/Story: Vols Down Vandy in Nashville, 70-58

Posted on February 25, 2021
Vols F Yves Pons / Credit: UT Athletics

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Two 20-point scoring outputs from junior Victor Bailey Jr. and freshman Jaden Springer, along with a double-double from senior Yves Pons, pushed the No. 25 Tennessee basketball team past Vanderbilt, 70-58, Wednesday inside Memorial Gym.

The win was Tennessee’s (16-6, 9-6 SEC) eighth consecutive victory over Vanderbilt (6-13, 2-11 SEC) and UT’s fifth straight in the Commodores’ home gym.

The Vols were led by Bailey Jr., who poured in 21 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 5-of-8 from 3-point range. The Austin, Texas, native also added three rebounds and three assists.

Springer added 20 points of his own, marking his fifth 20-point performance of the season. He finished the night 5-of-8 from the field and was a stellar 10-of-10 from the free-throw line.
Springer also totaled a season-high-tying three steals, a pair of assists and a block.

Pons scored an even 10 points for the third consecutive game and was a monster on the boards, pulling in 10 huge rebounds for his third career double-double and his first of the season.

The opening half was defined by runs, as each team had a spurt during which it outscored the opponent by at least 10 points.

Down 20-17 with less than seven minutes to play in the half, the Vols used an explosive 15-2 run to take a 32-22 lead into halftime.

Out of the break, UT extended its run to 22-5 through the first four minutes of the second half, increasing its lead to 39-25 at the under-16 media timeout.

The Vols held an advantage as large as 15 points in the second half, but Vanderbilt refused to go away, trimming Tennessee’s lead to as few as four points down the stretch.

However, some clutch made free-throws and multiple key stops cemented the night’s final score line.

Bailey’s Been Ballin’: From a scoring standpoint, this is the best three-game stretch of Victor Bailey Jr.’s career. He has scored 68 points over Tennessee’s last three games. His previous best three-game scoring output was 49 total points against Prairie View A&M (15), Alabama State (18) and Ball State (16) in the second, third and fourth games of his career when he was a freshman at Oregon in 2017. Bailey Jr. has scored 31 percent of the Vols’ total points over the last three games (68 of 218).

Up Next: Tennessee stays on the road for a Saturday afternoon matchup with Auburn. Tipoff from Auburn Arena is set for noon ET on ESPN.

PDF Box Score | Highlights | Barnes Postgame Presser | Bailey Postgame Presser | Postgame Quotes

-UT Athletics

The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games – Together, we will Shine as One

The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games – Together, we will Shine as One

Posted on February 24, 2021

The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games is proud to partner with Westwood One, Sony Music Nashville and Country Music artists like Maren Morris, in support of Special Olympics athletes throughout the US and Caribbean who will compete in the USA Games in Orlando, Florida, June 4-12, 2022. Together, we will Shine as One.

THE 2022 SPECIAL OLYMPICS USA GAMES IS COMING TO FLORIDA FOR THE FIRST TIME!
4,000 athletes, 10,000 volunteers and 125,000 spectators will help make the 2022 USA Games the largest ever.

 

Carly Pearce’s 29 (The Performance) Online For a Limited Time

Carly Pearce’s 29 (The Performance) Online For a Limited Time

Posted on February 24, 2021

Wednesday night, February 24th, Carly Pearce held an online event to celebrate the release of her latest collection of songs.

First there was 29 (The Livestream) where Carly interacted with fans, answered questions and shared stories about the music.

29 (The Performance) features Carly singing all the tracks on her project…and sharing more stories!

Act fast if you want to watch the video though…they come down tonight, February 25th!

Each video is about 30 minutes, so you can spend an hour with Carly and her 29!

Check out the 29 (The Livestream) here…

You can watch 29 (The Performance) right here…

Photo Credit: Allister Ann

Matt Stell Announces His Everywhere But Home Tour – Starting this Weekend!

Matt Stell Announces His Everywhere But Home Tour – Starting this Weekend!

Posted on February 24, 2021

Matt Stell announced his Everywhere But Home tour — which will see him playing 15 shows over the next 4 months across 6 states, and it starts this weekend!

Matt posted, “It’s official—the boys and I are saddling up and hitting the road again. I’ve been waiting a long time to say that. Real talk y’all better be ready to 100% full send blow out every minute of every one of these dates because I promise you we are gonna be. 2020 knocked us on our asses. In 2021 we fight back by having all the fun we didn’t get to have and then some. I typed this out in all caps first because that’s how I feel right now, but it was hard to read and looked annoying. But I mean it that hard. Be ready. The future’s coming and it’s looking BRIGHT.”

Matt added, “Can’t wait to play a few and raise one (more than one) up in Florida this weekend. Thankful we can get back out there and safely bring the music to y’all!”

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday February 26th at noon local time, more info at mattstell.com.

Along with his two number-one hits, “Prayed For You” and “Everywhere But On” (which inspired the tour name), Matt is sure to play his brand new single, “That Ain’t Me No More.”

Talking about the song, Matt says, “I love all kinds of music. Uptempo country songs about heartbreak are probably my favorite, especially when a song has a fresh take on the subject. ‘That Ain’t Me No More’ is all of these things and it’s a rocker to boot”
Listen to the song here, and remember to head to mattstell.com for ticket info about the Everywhere But Home tour.

Headline Photo Credit: Dustin Haney

Additional Images Courtesy of Matt Stell

Postgame/Boxscore/Story: #16 Vols Continue Hot Hitting in 14-6 Win Over UAPB

Postgame/Boxscore/Story: #16 Vols Continue Hot Hitting in 14-6 Win Over UAPB

Posted on February 24, 2021
Vols 1B Luc Lipcius / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – No. 16 Tennessee (5-0) continued its hot hitting by scoring eight runs in the first inning and never looking back in a 14-6 win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff on Wednesday evening at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Liam Spence set the tone with a double to open the game and Jake Rucker drove in the first two runs of the game with a triple two batters later. Luc Lipcius followed with his first home run of the year and before you could blink UT had a 4-0 lead.

Five different Vols has two or more runs batted in on the day, with senior outfielder Evan Russell leading the way. The Lexington, Tennessee, native made his first start of the year after dealing with soreness in his wrist and went 2-for-3 with three runs and three RBI. All three of the runs Russell drove in came on a no-doubt home run in the fourth inning that cleared the porches in left field.

Rucker, Lipcius, Christian Scott and Kyle Booker all drove in two runs apiece, as well, while Trey Lipscomb led the team in hits with a 3-for-5 performance.

Sophomore right hander Mark McLaughlin got the start on the mound and was nearly unhittable in three innings of work. The Georgia native allowed just one base runner and had six strikeouts in his 2021 debut.

Drew Gilbert made his first pitching appearance of the season and got the win after tossing two shutout innings of relief, finishing with three strikeouts. Freshmen Hollis Fanning, Shawn Scott and Brock Lucas also made their collegiate pitching debuts on Wednesday.

Nick Kreutzer led Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-2) with two hits, two runs and an RBI while Timothy Martin also drove in a pair of runs for the Golden Lions.

Tennessee continues homestand with a four-game weekend series against Indiana State, which is scheduled to begin on Friday at 4:30 p.m. All four games will be streamed on Watch ESPN.

NOTABLE

WELCOME BACK RUSS: Senior outfielder Evan Russell was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday after dealing with some wrist soreness that prevented him from playing much over the first four games. Russell didn’t miss a beat, finishing with two hits, two runs, a home run and three RBI.

WASTING NO TIME: The Vols ended any hope of an upset for the Golden Lions with an 8-run first inning. The Vols had six hits in the inning and three extra-base hits. The eight runs in the most in the first inning of a game under Tony Vitello, besting the previous high of seven in a 10-1 win over James Madison on March 6, 2018.

MIDWEEK MASTERS: After Wednesday’s victory, Tennessee is now 30-5 in midweek games since Vitello took over as head coach in 2018.

Box Score (PDF) | DOWNLOAD: Postgame Media (Vitello, Russell, Gilbert)

-UT Athletics

Boxscore/Story: Rogers Stuff Shuts Down Redbirds

Boxscore/Story: Rogers Stuff Shuts Down Redbirds

Posted on February 24, 2021
Ashley Rogers – Lady Vols / Credit: UT Athletics

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A career pitching night by junior ace Ashley Rogers lifted No. RV/23/24 Tennessee past a determined Illinois State team, 3-0, on Wednesday night at Sherri Parker Lee.

Rogers fanned 17 batters, which ties for the second-best performance in the nation this season, as she worked her way through a no-hitter through 5.0 innings. The hallmark was one strikeout shy of tying for the eighth-best single-game performance in program history – achieved on six occasions and only by Monica Abbott.

“Ashley was the story tonight,” said co-head coach Karen Weekly of the Athens, Tenn., native. “It’s good to come off a weekend like we had with so many games for her to get some rest and come out incredibly strong like she did today.”

Rogers, who sat out all of the 2020 season due to a temporary injury, leads the Lady Vols pitching corps with a 0.50 ERA and 4-1 record. The righthander has recorded 52 strikeouts, which is the second most in the country at the moment.

While UT relied on Rogers’ stuff, the Redbirds ace Morgan Day was impressive in her own right making it difficult for the Lady Vols to get on base. She retired five batters at the plate in 5.0 innings and gave up just two walks.

“That’s a really good team with Day on the mound,” said Weekly. “We knew tonight was going to be a pitcher’s duel. We have faced some really good pitchers. It doesn’t matter what the name is on your chest.”

After two scoreless innings, the Lady Vols brought in the first run on an RBI single from senior shortstop Ivy Davis (2-for-2), who has reached base each of the nine games this season, to get Kaitlin Parsons (1-for-3) across the plate.

Sophomore Kiki Milloy (1-for-3) led off the third with a no-doubter to double the score quickly and give UT some insurance and then Davis came home off the bat of junior catcher Ally Shipman (1-for-3) in the bottom of the fifth to round out scoring.

“I was pretty pleased with what we did at the plate,” Weekly added. “We knew tonight was going to tough.”

The Lady Vols tallied eight hits, but left seven runners on base.

Up Next:  UT opens its slate of the Tennessee Invitational tomorrow evening at 5 p.m. ET, facing UT-Martin. The Lady Vols will also see Northern Kentucky (12:30 p.m.) and Central Michigan (3 p.m.) on Saturday, before concluding the four-day tournament against the Chippewas at noon.

All contests that include Tennessee will be broadcast on the SECN+, except for Wednesday’s solo matchup with Illinois State. Thursday’s outing will be called by Michael Wottreng (PxP). Saturday’s games will be covered by Madison Shipman (Analysis) and Will Boling (PxP) and Sunday’s contest will pair up Shipman and Wottreng.

Box Score (PDF) | Season Cumes (PDF)

-UT Athletics

Trisha Yearwood Tests Positive For COVID – but “On Her Way Out of the Tunnel” Now

Trisha Yearwood Tests Positive For COVID – but “On Her Way Out of the Tunnel” Now

Posted on February 24, 2021

A couple of weeks ago Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood announced they were going into quarantine because one of their team members tested positive for COVID.

As fans expected to the see the super star couple resume their public events, news comes that their isolation will last a bit longer as Trisha has now also tested positive. Garth is testing negative as of now.

Speaking on the matter, Garth says “The Queen and I have now tested twice.” In regards to Trisha’s diagnosis, Garth shares, “Officially, she’s diagnosed as ‘on her way out of the tunnel’ now, though, which I’m extremely thankful for.”

The snow and ice storm that the Nashville area experienced last week prevented the couple from getting tested until almost a week after their initial exposure; once they did, they continued to quarantine together.

Garth shared “Anyone who knows me knows my world begins and ends with Miss Yearwood, so she and I will ride through this together, and anyone who knows her knows she’s a fighter and she’s been doing everything right, so I know we’ll walk out the other side of this thing together.” Garth fully admits, “She’s tough. She’s stronger than me.”

Garth says, though he welcomes any prayers and good thoughts anyone wants to send Trisha’s way. “If anyone asks, that’s what you can do for her. That’s what I’m doing. Living with her, I sometimes take it for granted she’s one of the greatest voices in all of music, so the possible long-term effects on her concern me as her husband and as a fan,” Garth continues. “We’re very lucky she is currently under the greatest care in the best city for treating and healing singers.”

Photo Credit: Russ Harrington

Country News

Weather

  • Forecast
  • Currents
  • Planner