Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian is leaving his position with the Volunteers to either become the quarterbacks coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the head coach at Central Michigan, ESPN’s Adam Caplan and Brett McMurphy are reporting. Bajakian was Tennessee’s offensive coordinator for each of the past two seasons.
Tennessee OC reportedly leaving, either for Buccaneers or Central Michigan
Butch Jones’ long-time assistant has reportedly not yet decided his destination.
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After stints on the staffs at the Delbarton School, Rutgers, Sacred Heart and Michigan, Bajakian was hired as Central Michigan’s quarterbacks coach in 2002 (where Butch Jones was the offensive coordinator). In 2004, he was hired as an offensive quality control assistant for the Chicago Bears, and returned to the Chippewas as Jones’ offensive coordinator in 2007. When Jones left for Cincinnati, Bajakian followed, and the two spent three years there before moving on to Tennessee.
This would be the first time in Jones’ career as head coach without Bajakian as his offensive coordinator. The two produced a 62-40 record at the three schools, including a dominating TaxSlayer Bowl victory over Iowa this past season. The Volunteers’ offense ranked No. 57 in offensive F/+ in 2014 and No. 10 in the SEC in scoring this season, after ranking No. 89 and No. 11, respectively, in those categories in 2013.
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