Positive Canales excited to be reunited with Scott and for life in the SEC

Standing on the field inside Neyland Stadium on a bright November day in 2015, Mike Canales internally knew he would make it either back to Tennessee some day or back in the best conference in college football, the SEC. Just over a year later, Canales got the call from Tennessee head coach Butch Jones to lead his quarterbacks and he will bring his positive approach to Rocky Top.

"I don't look at all the negatives," Canales said. "I'm not a negative person. My thing isn't the glass is half full or half empty. You take it, you drink it and you fill it all the way to the top. That's how I look at life. That's how I'm going to go to practice every day. That's how I'm going to approach every morning. Be the example and not the distraction."

Reunited with his friend and former player and colleague, Larry Scott, the veteran coach is chomping at the chance to show what he can do.

"We started the program at South Florida back in 1996," Canales said. "He was one of our first group. We stared with 75 and only 14 made it through. He was one of those 14. It's exciting as he has moved along this coaching ladder to watch it happen for him as a player and to coach him and some of the things we talked about like having each others back and I got you and I thought that was real important. We took that theme when I went back there as an assistant and watch him develop as a young coach."

On the same day as Canales headed east arriving in Knoxville in the early afternoon, Scott found out that Jones was promoting him to offensive coordinator and bringing Canales along with him. The ability to have continuity in his first stint as an O.C. was something that gets Scott fired up and eases his mind.

"It's always important and it's important for the room," Scott said. "Chemistry is everything. Before we present the plan and work with and get the kids to buy into the plan then there has to be a bond amongst the coaches first that we are all tied together and on the same page. We are all saying the same thing. All those things are critical as you start to build a staff and next years team and the offense you want to run."

Canales will get to work recruiting 2018 and 2019 quarterbacks. Spring practice will be here before you know it and quarterbacks are his passion.

"I think it's an exciting time," Canales said. "I think they are biting at the bit to get out there and perform. I think there are so many exciting and unique things they will bring to the table. They are all unique in their own way. I've had the chance to watch some of their high school highlights on hudl.

"I know they want to get the chance to meet me. I want to meet them. I've already text them and said come up to the office and say hello because I want to meet you. I think it's important to build that relationship. I'm a player coach and that sets me a part from other guys. I think having an open competition when you cross the white line, you compete hard as you can go and when we are in the meeting room, we have to be each others best friends."

There has been some angst amongst Tennessee fans about Canales and his ability to recruit top level quarterbacks to Rocky Top. That will be debated until he proves himself at this level, but Scott knows what he can do when he has good talent.

"I've had the opportunity to not only work with Mike, but I've seen what coach Canales can do with young quarterbacks," Scott said. "In how he builds them and how he treats me and the relationship he develops with them. And how he develops them as people and players. From my eyes to him, it's something I've witnessed being a player to working side by side with him to this moment right now. I couldn't be more excited about where we are going, where we are headed the decision coach Jones just made."

And that decision just put two old friends at the top of the offensive food chain on Rocky Top with visions of past success.

"We spent many a long nights down in Miami on road trips,” Canales recalled. “That was a lot of fun. When you sit in the room for three years as an assistant with him. You have been through the good times and the bad times. It's just learning personalities and when you get in a room like that, it's all for one and not just one guy leading it. It's all four or five guys in that room trying to plan to win."

"I think we were pretty good together and I'm expecting good things again."