University of Tennessee alum and SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum witnessed the Vols' embarrassing 41-0 loss to Georgia in person at Neyland Stadium on Saturday.
Finebaum, who criticized head coach Butch Jones' for calling out the media during his weekly press conference in the days leading up to the game, commented on Jones' job status during an appearance on SportsCenter Sunday morning.
"I don't know how he survives long-term," Finebaum said on ESPN's SportsCenter on Sunday morning. "Now, long-term could mean this week, next week or at the end of the season. 41-0 is as historic a loss as I can remember. You can't attack the media — falsely, by the way — and then act like it didn't happen. Well, the person who probably shouldn't have a starting position is the head coach because he is doing a lousy job. He said this team was as cohesive as a team he's ever had, and I don't think there was any evidence of that. I think he's lost his team and I don't know how you can get it back."
Jones spent the past five seasons with the Vols after joining the program in December 2012. He currently holds a 83-49 (14-20 SEC) overall record during his tenure in Knoxville.
Jones led Tennessee to three consecutive bowl game wins during his final three full seasons, but entered the 2017 season on the hot seat after failing to meet last year's preseason expectations of winning the SEC East.
During his fifth season, Jones' Vols lost a heartbreaker in Gainesville on a last second Hail Mary and survived a close game against winless UMass leading up to Saturday's historic blowout loss.
