Jim Chaney Position: Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends

Jim Chaney arrives in Knoxville as offensive coordinator from the NFL ranks, having spent the past three seasons as assistant coach for the St. Louis Rams.

The majority of Chaney's coaching experience, however, comes from the collegiate ranks. His coaching and recruiting turns at Purdue, Wyoming and Cal State Fullerton made him the perfect fit for head coach Lane Kiffin's all-star coaching lineup.

"Jim has been huge for us during this first offseason," Kiffin said. "On the field, he has the ability to oversee the entire offense and can coach all the positions. He's also an experienced recruiter and relates well to today's athletes on both the collegiate and professional levels."

Chaney spent all three years in St. Louis coaching the offensive line before adding tight ends to his assignment sheet in 2008. During the 2007 campaign, Chaney helped coach an offensive line that led running back Steven Jackson to his third consecutive 1,000-yard season.

Now, it's back to the collegiate level of football players, although Chaney says that shouldn't matter.

"I can't tell the difference, to be real honest with you. It is amazing to me that at any level of football when you walk out of the locker room, most football players love to play the game. When you love to do something, you are naturally inquisitive. They want to be coached. Our football team here wants to be coached, and it's been a real satisfying thing."

Possessing one of college football's best offensive minds, Chaney helped the Boilermakers lead the Big Ten in passing offense five times and total offense three. Purdue was ranked in the top 10 in the nation in total offense in six seasons, including 2000, when the Boilermakers ranked fourth.

Quarterback Drew Brees, a second-round draft pick by the San Diego Chargers in 2001, was the NCAA total offense champion in 2000, averaging 349.1 yards per game, and received the Maxwell Award as the nation's outstanding player. Tim Stratton received the inaugural John Mackey Award as the nation's best tight end in 2000.

More importantly, the 2000 combination of Chaney and Brees under head coach Joe Tiller led Purdue to its first Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl berth in 33 years.

From 1997-2001, Chaney served as recruiting coordinator and helped the Boilermakers sign some of the country's top high school talent. The 1998 class was ranked second in the Big Ten and 11th nationally. Each of Chaney's last five classes was in the top 30 nationally.

Chaney previously coached the tight ends from 1999-2001. He coached the offensive line in 1997, 1998 and 2002 and was co-offensive coordinator with Tim Lappano in 1997.

Before his Purdue tenure, Chaney was offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Wyoming in 1995 and 1996. He joined the Cowboys in 1993 as a graduate assistant, working with the tight ends and recruiting.

Chaney broke into coaching at Cal State Fullerton in 1985. He served in many areas, including offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator as well as coaching quarterbacks, receivers, and both lines. Chaney had a stint as the offensive line coach at Western Michigan during the spring of 1988 before returning to Cal State Fullerton.

Chaney, a native of Holden, Mo., earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Central Missouri State in 1985 after a career at nose guard, where he earned All-Conference honors as a senior. He is married to Lisa, who hails from Rock Springs, Wyo., and they are the parents of daughters Elizabeth, 11, and Sara, 7.