Butch Jones Can't Let Tennessee's Discipline Problem Linger

In just two short seasons, Butch Jones has elevated Tennessee from SEC East afterthought to potential division power. 

Unfortunately for Jones, the reputation of the program isn't all rosy.

Anita Wadhwani and Nate Rau of The Tennessean reported late Friday evening that former vice chancellor Tim Rogers is accusing the athletic department of wielding undue influence over the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. 

According to documents from 2013 uncovered by the paper, Rogers and his staff were pressured by members of the athletic department to be more lenient in cases that involved student-athletes during a time in which several incidents involving football players were alleged to have occurred.

From the report:

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The former vice chancellor for student life [Rogers] confirmed to The Tennessean that he authored documents that outlined his concerns about pressure from athletics department administrators regarding how athletes should be disciplined for misconduct ranging from minor infractions to sexual assaults.

"

The reaction from around the country didn't exactly cast the athletics department in a positive light, as Sally Jenkins of The Washington Post noted on Twitter.

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Tennessee admin didn’t want discipline for athletes to be too “legalistic.” Heavens no. Wouldn’t want that. http://t.co/sRZLuQgGYP

— Sally Jenkins (@sallyjenx) March 7, 2015"

The report points to five members of the 2014 Vols who have been accused of sexual assault in the past.

Two of those players—former linebacker A.J. Johnson and cornerback Michael Williams—were recently indicted on charges of aggravated rape, according to Hayes Hickman of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Both players were suspended from the team immediately, and according to Wadhwani and Matt Slovin of The Tennessean, Williams was only removed from the Tennessee roster in February. (Johnson exhausted his eligibility following the 2014 season.)

Jones handled the situation the right way in the case of Johnson and Williams. In cases as serious as theirs, a proactive approach is the right move. 

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

It's an approach he's going to have to get used to, because the report that the athletic department is influencing too much influence over student discipline is only going to be fixed with time—specifically with a strict stance from Tennessee's high-profile programs, including football.

Whether the report is indictment of football and the Tennessee athletic department or simply one side of a three-sided story (all stories have three sides) doesn't matter.

It's going to resonate among students, student-athletes and potential student-athletes. If Jones wants to fix the perception that is slowly becoming reality, he has to continue to be strict right out of the gate in cases that involve football players.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

This isn't something that can be fixed overnight, nor is it something that the head football coach wants lingering over his head, specifically at a time when the program appears poised to take the next step and become legitimate contenders in the SEC East.

If it does, his program will suffer, the rebuilding process will take longer than expected, and the frustrations that have persisted on Rocky Top since 2007 will continue.

It isn't Jones' responsibility to fix the problem. That's on the plate of athletics director Dave Hart. But he can help change the perception, which will go a long way toward stabilizing the situation and providing a good foundation for the future of the Tennessee program.

Jones doesn't have to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to player discipline, but he shouldn't tolerate much for the foreseeable future.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.