Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer finally reached out to former quarterback and current USC offensive coordinator Tee Martin about the Vols' head coaching position, sources told to Sports Illustrated's Bruce Feldman on Tuesday.
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The report comes hours after Feldman initially claimed that UT hadn't previously contacted Martin, despite his ties to the university and an outpouring of support from Tennessee fans.
Sources have indicated that Martin, who led the Vols to a national championship in 1998, would accept the position if offered. However, the coordinator confirmed last week that his alma mater hadn't reached out to him, despite many others close to the program showing their support.
Martin also acknowledged the Vol fans shown campaigning for his coaching service during USC's 31-28 victory over Stanford in the Pac-12 championship on Friday.
The 39-year-old has quickly risen up the ranks as a young assistant with a bright head coaching future, having been named as a Broyles Award semi-finalist last week.
Many anticipated that Martin would be contacted by the Vols after his former coach, Phillip Fulmer, replaced John Currie as UT's athletic director on Saturday.
Tennessee has reportedly narrowed its search down to several other candidates as well, including Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker.
