Butch Jones Lyle Allen " Butch " Jones , Jr . ( born ) is the current head football coach of the University of Tennessee . He previously coached at Cincinnati from 2010 to 2012 and Central Michigan University ( CMU ) from 2007 to 2009 . A Michigan native , he played college football at Ferris State University . Assistant coaching career . As a college senior , Jones interned for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then earned a job as a defensive assistant at Rutgers University right out of college in 1990 . Two years later , he took a job as offensive coordinator at Wilkes University , helping to guide the team deep into the Division III playoffs . In 1995 , he returned to his alma mater , Ferris State , to serve in the offensive coordinator role . His offensive acumen was clear as he led Ferris State to the top - ranked offense nationally for three straight years . He arrived at CMU in 1998 , coaching tight ends for one year , running backs for two more , and finally called the plays on offense from 2002 to 2004 . He left the school in 2005 to work for Rich Rodriguez and coach wide receivers at West Virginia University , helping to lead the school to back - to - back top 10 seasons . Central Michigan . Jones returned to Central Michigan as head coach in 2007 . In his first year he posted an 8 – 5 overall record and a 7 – 1 conference record . Jones ended two streaks that had haunted his predecessors . On September 29 , 2007 , CMU beat Northern Illinois University , which was the first CMU victory over Northern Illinois going back to 1998 . On November 6 , 2007 , CMU beat its chief rival , Western Michigan University , at its home field of Waldo Stadium for the first time since 1993 . He guided CMU to the MAC title at Ford Field in Detroit against Miami ( Ohio ) , and led the team to its second consecutive Motor City Bowl . He was only the ninth football coach in Mid - American Conference history to win the championship in his first season . In 2008 , a 31 – 24 loss to Ball State on Nov . 19 derailed the Chippewas ' MAC title hopes , but CMU earned a trip to a third consecutive Motor City Bowl . In 2009 he guided the Chippewas to their third MAC Championship in four years after an 8 – 0 MAC schedule , the first time in school history the Chippewas went undefeated in the MAC . CMU completed its run with a 20 – 10 win against Ohio in the MAC title game at Ford Field . He left CMU with a 27 – 13 overall record and 20 – 3 MAC record . He did not win a bowl game , though his team won the 2009 bowl game against Troy , 44 – 41 . Cincinnati . On December 16 , 2009 , Jones was named head coach at the University of Cincinnati . He replaced Brian Kelly , who left to become head coach at Notre Dame . Jones had previously replaced Kelly at Central Michigan . Jones has led the Bearcats to records of 4 – 8 in 2010 and 10 – 3 in 2011 , including a Big East championship , a Liberty Bowl victory ( 31 – 24 over Vanderbilt ) , and he was named Big East Coach of the Year . Also in 2011 , Cincinnati was the only program to win both its conference championship as well as the league ' s team academic award . He led the Bearcats to a 9 – 3 regular season record in 2012 , leading them to the Belk Bowl in Charlotte to play against Duke University . Twenty days prior to the bowl game , on December 7 , 2012 , Jones announced to the team that would be resigning to accept the job as head coach at the University of Tennessee , after declining offers from Colorado , Purdue , and others . He will be required to pay $ 1 . 4 Million to buy out his contract extension , signed on January 23 , 2012 that extended through the 2017 season . Tennessee . On December 7 , 2012 , Jones was introduced as the new head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers , replacing coach Derek Dooley . He is the school ' s 23rd head football coach . Personal life . Jones and his wife , Barbara , have three sons — Alex , Adam , and Andrew .