Sources: Tennessee finalizing deal with linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary

Tennessee is finalizing a deal with Michigan linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary sources tell Volquest.com. Jean-Mary was hired as linebackers coach for the Wolverines on January of 2020 after serving as the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator at USF from 2017-19 under Bulls head coach Charlie Strong.

Jean-Mary arrives on Rocky Top as a 22-year coaching veteran having spent the 10 of the last 11 seasons on the defensive staffs of Strong, first at Louisville (2010-13) as assistant head coach/linebackers coach, then at Texas (2014-16) as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator, and finally at USF (2017-19).

As a recruiter, Jean-Mary helped produce a trio of top-15 signing classes at Texas, improving from 15th in 2014 to seventh in 2015 and eighth in 2016, and one at Georgia Tech (15th, 2007). He also had a top-30 class at Louisville in 2011 (27th).

Jean-Mary's defense in Tampa helped the Bulls defense become one of the nation's best at forcing turnovers and getting to the quarterback.

USF collected forced 69 turnovers across Jean-Mary's three seasons (24, 21, 24) and ranked top-30 in that area twice. The Bulls also ranked top-five in tackles for loss per game twice (8.4 and 8.3 per game in 2017, '19) and ranked No. 4 in red zone defense in 2019 (67.4 percent).

He has experience in the south both at both USF and Texas with an additional stop at Georgia Tech.