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Les Miles possible dream candidate for Tennessee's head coaching job

Things have changed a bit since the Vols coaching search began. Some coaches have taken other jobs or accepted raises at their current schools. Oh... and someone else is running the search now.

Things have changed a bit since the Vols coaching search began. Some coaches have taken other jobs or accepted raises at their current schools. Oh... and someone else is running the search now.

Phillip Fulmer steps in as Tennessee's athletic director, so here's an update to the five dream candidates list:

David Shaw of the Stanford Cardinal looks on from the sidelines against the USC Trojans during the Pac-12 Football Championship game at Levi's Stadium on December 1, 2017 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

David Shaw, Stanford

Record: 73-20, seven seasons

Salary: $5.68 million

Shaw spent ten seasons as an assistant in the NFL and then served on Jim Harbaugh's staffs at San Diego and Stanford before taking the head job at his alma mater. He's led the Cardinal to three Pac-12 titles in seven seasons and his worst record is 8-5. Vol fans would like his power run game style.

SEATTLE, WA - NOVEMBER 04: Head coach Chris Petersen of the Washington Huskies looks on against the Oregon Ducks at Husky Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Chris Petersen, Washington

Record: 129-28, 12 seasons

Salary: $4.12 million

Petersen led the Huskies to a Pac-12 championship and a college football playoff appearance in his third season in Seattle. The conference title was Washington's first since 2000. Previously, Petersen coached Boise State for 8 seasons, winning ten or more games in all but one, claiming five conference championships and reaching two BCS bowls.

Gary Patterson of the TCU Horned Frogs yells from the sideline as TCU takes on the Oklahoma Sooners in the second half of the Big 12 Championship AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Gary Patterson, TCU

Record: 159-57, 18 seasons

Salary: $5.1 million

Patterson has won six conference championships at TCU and taken the Horned Frogs to two BCS bowls and a New Year's Six bowl (the College Football Playoff's version of BCS bowls). His teams have finished in the top ten in four of the last ten seasons and that span includes a transition from the Mountain West to the Big 12.

Credit: Jonathan Bachman
BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach Les Miles of the LSU Tigers takes the field before a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

Les Miles

Record: 141-55, 16 seasons

Salary: $4.3 million (in 2016 before being fired; collecting $9+ million buyout)

Miles is available and would be interested in the Vols job according to multiple reports. Govols247.com reports that Tennessee has contacted Miles recently. He was fired by LSU last September after a 2-2 start, losing to ranked opponents Wisconsin and Auburn. Miles won two SEC championships and a national title in 12 seasons at LSU. During that time, he won ten more games seven times and his worst record in a full season was 8-5.

Sep 3, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator Kevin Steele talks to players during warm-ups prior to the game against the Clemson Tigers at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

All-VFL Staff

What if Phillip Fulmer could put together an orange-blooded staff consisting of as many coaches with Tennessee ties as possible? Two of the top targets on that list would be USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin and Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele (pictured).

Martin was the quarterback on Fulmer's 1998 national championship team and won the Pac-12 title with the Trojans this season. Steele played at UT in the late 1970s and coached on Johnny Majors' staff with Fulmer in the early '80s. His Auburn defenses have ranked in the top ten in scoring defense the last two seasons.

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