Butch Jones to Keep Jay Graham on Tennessee Volunteers Football Staff

One of the most immediate tasks facing new Tennessee Volunteers head football coach Butch Jones is to assemble a staff. The new sideline general wasted little time getting started on that project, according to reports coming out of Knoxville on Saturday.

According to WNML radio Sportstalk host Jimmy Hyams, Jones will retain running backs coach Jay Graham as a holdover from the staff of former coach Derek Dooley.

Hyams posted the following on Twitter:

"

UT coach Butch Jones is keeping RB coach Jay Graham but not OC jim chaney or OL coach sam pittman. Jones still considering Darin Hinshaw

— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) December 8, 2012"

Graham, a former standout player at Tennessee, has been heavily involved in the recruitment of a number of players for the Volunteers. He joined the Dooley staff one year ago after having worked under Steve Spurrier at South Carolina.

Graham played for Tennessee from 1993 to 1996. He rushed for just over 2,600 yards in his career, giving him the sixth-highest total in Volunteers history. He amassed more than 1,400 yards in his best college season, 1995.

From 1997 through 2002, Graham played for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.

Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association. To read "Biggest Events in NASCAR 2012: Junior Wins!" and other NASCAR stories please visit http://racingwithrich.com/