Morgan Wallen celebrated his recently released Dangerous: The Double Album with a show at the world famous Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Along with a socially distanced crowd taking it in live in-person, the performance was streamed to fans around the world.
If you missed Morgan Wallen: Live From the Ryman, you can still join in on the fun as it’s available here…(a little hint, jump to 13 mins for the start of the concert)
Photo Credit: John Shearer
“Undivided” from Tim McGraw and Florida Georgia Line‘s Tyler Hubbard is available now!
Tim teased the new track last week, saying “Tyler sent me this song a few months ago and from the first time I heard it….I knew it was one I wanted to be singing for a long time. We got together in the studio last month and created something real special. Hope y’all agree when you hear it!!”
When it came to putting the song together, Tim shares, “Tyler and I worked on ‘Undivided’ together in the studio. We went in one evening, and spent just about the entire evening together just working on the song and working out parts, and who was going to do what…where the harmonies were going to be, and I tell ya, it was a lot of good creative energy and we felt like it was a lot of good will that was going on when we were laying this song down.”
Listen to “Undivided” from Tim and Tyler right here…
Photo Credit: Robby Klein
If you missed Old Dominion‘s performance of “Never Be Sorry” on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon…
Check it out right here.
Photo Credit: Mason Allen
Carrie Underwood appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show this week, and along with talking about her son appearing on her Christmas album, My Gift, Carrie shared which animal she’s actually afraid of…care to guess?
Well, when Drew Barrymore had the chance to guess the answer, she got it right. So, what is the animal Carrie fears…turtles.
Carrie explains why in this clip…
Here’s Carrie sharing the story with Drew about recording “Little Drummer Boy” with her son Isaiah…
Carrie shared stories during her appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show, but she also shared something more important with a fellow guest.
7-year old Hayley and her mom Lori joined the show to talk about raising money for a local hospital during the COVID crisis. Hayley made and sold bracelets with an original goal was $200…as off now she’s raised over $27,000.
Carrie and Drew surprised Hayley and her mom by adding to that total with a donation of $5,000 each.
Check out the special moment here…
Photo Credit: Randee St Nicholas
Lady A not only captured the number-one spot on the country music airplay charts for the first week of the new year, they’re still there for week 2!
“Champagne Night” becomes the first chart-topper of 2021, and now it’s also the first multi-week number-one song of the year.
Hillary Scott, of Lady A, says “Since we started the journey with ‘Champagne Night’ every step of the process has been so special to us.”
In responding to the news that the song is number-one again, Hillary added, “We couldn’t be more thankful for all the support from our fans and friends at Country radio and to Songland for believing in the song as much as we did. I can’t believe we get to start 2021 off with a multi-week number one….it almost feels unreal!”
Having the number-one song will allow Hillary and bandmates Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood a moment of celebration together.
While they experience the highs of their career together, they also keep each other going through the lows. Hillary admits that being a trio last year was probably more important than ever, “We’ve leaned into each other so much…just, that’s what you do when you go through hardship. You hopefully have those around you that your closest to that you can link arm in arm with to walk through the hard times, you know.”
Well, here’s a better new year, and a bunch of champagne nights in 2021
Photos courtesy of BMLG Records
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday evening, #23/24 Tennessee (8-1, 2-0 SEC) opens a three-game stretch vs. a trio of teams that stand a combined 27-2 overall and 11-2 in their respective conferences. Two of those teams are receiving votes and the third is ranked No. 4 in the nation.
First on the docket is Georgia (10-1, 2-1 SEC), which is receiving votes in both polls and comes to Knoxville for a 6:32 p.m. showdown on Thursday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
The Lady Vols currently stand all alone in third place in the SEC standings as one of only three teams with unblemished league records. The other two are #5/4 South Carolina (3-0) and #7/7 Texas A&M (3-0). The Lady Bulldogs, meanwhile, come to Knoxville holding down sixth place in SEC play.
The Big Orange women have wins over two top-15 teams, including (then) No. 15/15 Indiana in Bloomington (66-58) on Dec. 17 and last Thursday night in Knoxville vs. (then) No. 13/13 Arkansas (88-73). UT’s only setback is an overtime road loss to West Virginia (8-2), which is receiving votes in both polls and thundered past (then) No. 17/17 Texas last week by a 92-58 count.
UGA’s only loss came in its SEC opener at home vs. (then) No. 12/13 Mississippi State, 69-62, on Dec. 31. The Lady Bulldogs’ top win appears to be a 75-69 overtime triumph in Atlanta over rival Georgia Tech (now 6-3 overall/4-2 ACC).
Tennessee is coming off a one-point, gut-check win at LSU on Sunday, 64-63. It marked UT’s first win in Baton Rouge since 2014 and Kellie Harper‘s first victory there personally, as a head coach or player. Georgia secured a 10-point win over Florida on Sunday in Athens, 68-58.
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-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper took questions from the media on Tuesday in a Zoom interview session that covered the Lady Vols’ upcoming SEC tilts against Georgia (10-1/2-1 SEC) and Alabama (10-1/3-1 SEC).
No. 23/24 UT (8-1/2-0 SEC) will play host UGA, which is receiving votes in both major polls, at 6:30 p.m. ET on Thursday (SEC Network) at Thompson-Boling Arena. After welcoming the Lady Bulldogs, the Lady Vols will travel to Tuscaloosa for a 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT Sunday matinee (SECN+) vs. the Crimson Tide at Coleman Coliseum.
On being in the Top-25 every year since the rankings began and what that does for recruiting:
“Well, that’s where we belong. This program is a program of excellence, and I think the bar is set really high here. The expectation is that’s where we are. Our name on that list is important. I’ll say this though, when we were getting back to practice after our COVID break, on every ticker I saw, (it said) we were coming back to practice. I don’t know many other programs that they are going to do that for and say we are actually practicing. I think our program still resonates strongly nationally and having that name in that poll only reiterates that.”
On the progress of Jordan Horston from last year to this year:
“Anytime you’re working with players who are really talented, you’re going to see improvements. After the season last year, I knew 100 percent that Jordan Horston was going to be a better player her sophomore year, just for the fact that she was going to be a year older, and a year more experienced. Her game is more mature – she is playing consistent basketball right now, and she is still unbelievably talented. She is playing with a lot of confidence, and when she makes a mistake she can move on because she is comfortable enough doing that. It’s a process, and you have to learn who you are as a college basketball player, and that’s for every freshman. She had some great games, great moments, and great minutes last year, and I think it was a good freshman year, and she’s continuing to improve.”
On what are some things she is going to try do offensively and defensively against Georgia and how to contain Jenna Staiti:
“For them, the interesting thing is they got some dynamic and quick guards on the perimeter that we’re going to have to guard. If we don’t guard them, it is going to give their post players more opportunities. We’ve got to start with our one-on-one defense, and we have got to be able to guard a little bit better so we are not having to rotate and move around. Our players understand the scouting report and who you have to lock into, be physical with, guard early, be aware of, and I think all of those things are definitely in play when we are guarding Georgia and how they will attack us. For us, offensively, it’s going to be real important that we take care of the basketball. They guard, and Georgia will get down and guard as well as anybody. We’re going to have to really work, be strong with the ball, be careful with the ball, so that we can find offensive production.”
On if it’s better for Tamari Key to face post players, rather than smaller guards in the paint:
“I think Tamari is more comfortable guarding a post player on the block. That’s what she is conditioned to do. A lot of times throughout the year, we have to move her around depending on our opponent. For the most part, her strength is definitely on the block. They have those little guards that can get in there, and we don’t want them to get to her, obviously. If they (Georgia) do get to her, we have to rotate. There are going to be a lot of things that have to happen for us to be able to contain them.”
On what she has emphasized to the team after wins over Arkansas and LSU to begin conference play:
“Coming out of the Arkansas game, I thought our players were really locked in and executed the game plan. I thought our transition defense was solid. I thought our ball movement was terrific. I thought our patience offensively and our work on the boards was good. (Against) LSU, our transition defense was OK when they weren’t getting steals and scoring. Our work on the boards was OK. Defensively, we could have been a lot better, I felt like. I thought they really took it to us, and we did not do a good job of containing penetration. Offensively, we scored enough. I thought there were times where we didn’t get enough ball movement, and I thought we were a little stagnant, especially in the second half.”
On the challenges that Alabama will present on Sunday:
“Fortunately, I’ve actually seen them play a little bit more than I normally would at this point, due to our week off. I think they come in with very experienced players, very confident players. They execute a game plan on both ends of the court. It’s very apparent and obvious what their goal is and what they’re trying to do. I think they have balanced scoring. They have a point guard that is terrific right now. They’ve got a post player that’s shooting an unbelievable percentage in the paint. The players around them are doing exactly what they need to do. I’ve been really impressed with Alabama.”
On the way the team has been securing wins with strong finishes to games:
“I think we’ve had three close games, and we lost one in overtime. We were down six going into the fourth quarter and gave ourselves a chance to win (at West Virginia), so you could say we closed OK. The fourth quarter was OK. We got ourselves in position to win, but we didn’t close it. We just didn’t close it. We didn’t finish it. We had a close game at Indiana and did finish it. We got the buckets when we needed them and got the stops when we needed them. Those were important. (Against) LSU, we missed four free throws and a layup inside of a minute. Fortunately, we had a defensive stop to end the game. I don’t know that we necessarily closed that one well, but we found a way to win.”
-UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee head football coach Jeremy Pruitt announced Tuesday that veteran Southeastern Conference coach Kevin Steele has joined the program as a defensive assistant coach.
Steele, a 1981 graduate of the University of Tennessee and former Vols assistant, returns to Rocky Top after serving as the defensive coordinator at Auburn the past five seasons. His units ranked in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense in four out of those five seasons, while producing 12 NFL Draft picks and multiple first-rounders.
“Kevin is someone I have respected and admired for a long time on and off the field,” Pruitt said, “I had the opportunity to learn and work with him during our time at Alabama and our friendship grew from there. He has outstanding knowledge of the game and understands what it takes to be successful in this conference. Having coached under the great Johnny Majors, he has a sincere appreciation for what it means to be a Tennessee Volunteer. We are thrilled to welcome Kevin and Linda back to Rocky Top.”
In total, Steele owns 38 years of coaching experience, including 13 years in the SEC and 10 years as a defensive coordinator. Pruitt and Steele reunite after serving on Alabama’s staff together from 2007-08.
“Linda and I are excited to be coming home,” Steele said. “Tennessee is a special place to me personally. I am truly grateful to Coach Pruitt and Coach Fulmer for this opportunity, and I am eager to get to work alongside them once again. I look forward to helping create an environment where our players are successful and truly embrace what it means to be a Volunteer.”
In 2020, Steele’s unit ranked fourth in the SEC in scoring defense while playing a 10-game conference slate. He also served as interim head coach for the Tigers’ Citrus Bowl contest against Northwestern.
In 2019, Auburn’s defense ranked eighth nationally in both red-zone and third-down defense, allowing only 19.5 points per game against a schedule that featured six 11-win opponents. The 2018 Auburn defense ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense (19.2) and allowed only nine rushing touchdowns. The Tigers ranked in the top 20 nationally in sacks (38) and tackles for loss (96) and were ninth nationally with three interception returns for scores.
The 2017 season saw Steele earn Broyles Award finalist honors as SEC West champion Auburn ranked 14th in total defense and 12th in scoring defense, allowing just 4.67 yards per play, which was eighth-best nationally. The Tigers ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense, 11th in red zone defense and 28th in total defense in his first season of 2017, an improvement of 43 spots over the previous season. The Tigers held eight consecutive opponents without a rushing touchdown, the longest season streak at Auburn since 1957.
Steele served as defensive coordinator and linebacker coach for LSU in 2015, going to Baton Rouge from Alabama, where he spent the 2014 season coaching the Crimson Tide linebackers and special assistant to the head coach. In 2013, he served as Alabama’s director of player personnel. Steele was the defensive coordinator at Alabama in 2007 and then held the same position at Clemson for three years from 2009-11. While at Clemson, the Tigers won the 2011 ACC title, their first since 1991. Steele’s 2010 Clemson defense led the ACC and ranked No. 13 nationally in points allowed, surrendering 18.8 points per game.
Steele coached with Bobby Bowden at Florida State for four years (2003-06), serving as the executive head coach for the Seminoles. He was named the Rivals.com National Recruiter of the Year in 2005 at Florida State after helping the Seminoles sign the top class in the country.
Steele joined Florida State after serving as the head coach at Baylor from 1999-2002. Prior to overseeing the Big 12 program, Steele coached linebackers for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL from 1995-98. Under head coach Dom Capers, the Panthers reached the NFC Championship game in their second season (1996).
From 1989-94, Steele coached the linebackers under Nebraska legend Tom Osborne. During his six years in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers went 60-11, appeared in six bowl games, won four conference championships and captured the 1994 national championship with a 13-0 record.
The Dillon, South Carolina, native spent his freshman season at Furman before transferring to Tennessee, where he was a member of Majors’ squads. Steele was a student assistant coach in 1980 and then a graduate assistant the following year (1981) before being promoted to outside linebackers coach in 1982.
He served on Majors’ staff again from 1987-88 as defensive backs coach and was part of a 1987 Vols team that posted a 10-2-1 record, capping the year with a No. 14 national ranking and a Peach Bowl victory.
Steele and his wife, Linda, have a son, Gordon, and a daughter, Caroline. Gordon serves on the football coaching staff at Alabama.
The Kevin Steele File
Personal Information
Hometown: Dillon, South Carolina
Education: Tennessee, 1981
Wife: Linda
Children: Gordon, Caroline
Coaching Experience
1980-81: Tennessee, student/graduate assistant
1982: Tennessee, outside linebackers
1983: New Mexico State, linebackers
1984-86: Oklahoma State, linebackers/tight ends
1987-88: Tennessee, defensive backs
1989-94: Nebraska, linebackers
1995-98: Carolina Panthers, linebackers
1999-2002: Baylor, head coach
2003-06: Florida State, linebackers
2007: Alabama, defensive coordinator
2008: Alabama, linebackers
2009-11: Clemson, defensive coordinator/linebackers
2013: Alabama, director player personnel
2014: Alabama, special assistant to the head coach/linebackers
2015: LSU, defensive coordinator/linebackers
2016-20: Auburn, defensive coordinator
2020-21: Auburn, interim head coach
2021-present: Tennessee, defensive assistant coach
-UT Athletics
By: Eric Cain / @_Cainer
Jeremy Pruitt is reportedly adding former Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to his staff. The financials of the deal or the specific role are both unknown at the time.
Tennessee currently has a defensive line coaching position open while inside linebacker Brian Niedermeyer’s contract expires at the end of the month.
Newly-named Auburn coach Bryan Harsin brought in former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason to run his defense last week – thus putting Steele out of work. Just over a year ago, Auburn made Steele the nation’s highest-paid assistant coach at $2.5 million annually over a three-year extension through the 2022 season.
Prior to taking the Tennessee gig, Auburn was to pay Steele $5.2 million in monthly installments through January of 2023. The amount the Vols sign the 62-year-old for will be subtracted from the total.
The move comes a week after ESPN reported the university placed a hiring freeze on the football program as it continues to navigate through a lengthy internal investigation into alleged impermissible recruiting violations.
The investigation is still ongoing.
Steele could take over a position group for the Volunteers that was oversaw by head coach Jeremy Pruitt last season for the final six games – following the firing of former defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh four games into his two-year contract agreement.
It received a big boost Monday afternoon when senior leader Matthew Butler announce his intentions on returning for the 2021 campaign. Senior Darel Middleton declared earlier this fall that he would return also, but the plans are still unclear on what fellow seniors Aubrey Solomon, LaTrell Bumphus and Ja’Quain Blakely will do with the extra year of eligibility.
Steele will also have returning lettermen Elijah Simmons, Omari Thomas, Kurrott Garland, Greg Emerson and John Mincey to work with in 2021, with the additions of Dominic Bailey and RJ Perry – who combined for one appearance in their true freshmen seasons.
Four-star KaTron Evans and three-star Isaac Washington signed with Tennessee in December as defensive linemen.
Jimmy Hyams is reporting the hire would likely to be to coach linebackers where sophomore Henry To’o To’o had little help following the loss of Daniel Bituli from last year’s squad.
BREAKING NEWS: Tennessee has hired Kevin Steele to be an assistant on the defensive staff, sources said. Steele, a former UT assistant (1987-88) and player (1978-79), will likely coach linebackers. It is not known if he will carry a title, such as co-DC or assistant head coach.
— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) January 12, 2021
Regardless, the unit was a disappointment in 2020 after surging late in the 2019 season. Tennessee’s defensive line helped aid the fifth-best rush defense (141.6 yds/game) in the SEC but failed to put pressure on the quarterback – finishing with only 20 sacks in 10 games (9th in SEC).
The Vols were picked on in the passing game all year long – surrendering 265.8 passing yards per game (11th in SEC). Failing to rush the passer did not help an injury-plagued and underperforming secondary in 2020.
Steele is a Tennessee guy – playing for the Volunteers in the late 1970s before breaking into coaching as a student-assistant in 1980. He was a graduate assistant on Then Hill the following seasons before coaching the outside linebackers in 1982.
After making stops as a defensive assistant at New Mexico State and Oklahoma State, Steele returned to Knoxville to coach the defensive backs for two seasons in 1987 and 1988. He then made two more pitstops that included a four-year stint with the Carolina Panthers, before taking over as head coach at Baylor in 1999.
As Baylor’s head man, Steele’s record was 9-36, including a 1-31 mark n Big 12 conference play.
Steele then made stops at Florida State, Alabama, Clemson and LSU before landing in Auburn as defensive coordinator in 2016.
In his first four years with the Tigers, Steele’s units ranked in the nation’s top-20 for scoring defense. He was also a finalist for the Tennessee head coaching vacancy in 2017.
Steele and Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt spent time together on Alabama’s staff.
By Jimmy Hyams
Tennessee has hired Kevin Steele to be an assistant on the defensive staff, according to sources.
Steele, a former Tennessee assistant and player, will likely coach linebackers. It is not known if he will carry a title, such as co-defensive coordinator or assistant head coach.
Steele, 62, was Auburn’s defensive coordinator for the past five years. He was not retained by new Auburn coach Bryan Harsin. Steele has two years left on his Auburn contract that pays him $2.6 million a year.
Whatever Steele is paid by Tennessee would be subtracted from the $5.2 million Auburn owes him.
It had been reported that Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt did not have the authority from UT to hire an assistant considering UT is undergoing an internal investigation from its compliance office for potential NCAA recruiting violations.
While sources said UT approved the hiring of Steele, it is not known if Pruitt has the clearance to hire an offensive line coach after Will Friend left in late December.
Also, Steele would be retained even if UT and Pruitt part ways, sources said.
Steele was one of three finalists for the Tennessee head coaching job in 2017 when Pruitt was hired. Pruitt and Steele are close friends and coached together at Alabama.
Steele has also been considered more than once for defensive coordinator at Tennessee, but one flirtation was nixed because Clemson’s defense allowed 70 points in a bowl game against West Virginia, although not all of the points allowed were the defensive’s fault.
At Auburn, Steele coordinated a defense that ranked among the SEC’s best for several years.
Before joining the Auburn staff, he was defensive coordinator at LSU for one year (2015) and had two different stints at Alabama (2007-08, 2013-14). He was defensive coordinator at Clemson (2009-11). He also had stops at Florida State, Nebraska (which won a national championship in 1994), Tennessee (1987-88), Oklahoma State and New Mexico State.
He spent four years in the NFL as linebacker coach for the Carolina Panthers.
His only head coaching job did not go well. He was 9-36 in four years at Baylor (1999-2002).
A native of Dillon, S.C., Steele played one year at Furman before transferring to Tennessee (1978-79) where he played with good friend John Chavis, also from Dillon.
Pruitt is also looking to replace assistant strength and conditioning coach Mike Farrell, who left in November.
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