One Vols returning starter is likely out for the season

Blake Toppmeyer | Knoxville

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Former Tennessee football coach Butch Jones’ wife, Barb, spread false information pertaining to the departure of Vol For Life Coordinator Antone Davis, Davis alleged in an email he sent to his bosses on Nov. 2.

Davis gave a two-week notice of his resignation in a letter to former athletic director John Currie dated Oct. 30.

Barb Jones described Davis’ departure as a firing, Davis claimed in an email to Reid Sigmon, Tennessee’s executive associate athletic director.

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The Butch Jones Era at the University of Tennessee

“I want you to know that I have been contacted by three different people that have stated that Barb Jones, Butch’s wife, has told some parent(s) of our current-student athletes that I was fired because I was leaking information to the media,” Davis wrote to Sigmon in an email obtained by USA TODAY Network – Tennessee through a public records request. “This is absolutely untrue and it is exactly the type of thing I feared would happen.”

An attempt to reach Barb Jones on Thursday was unsuccessful.

In previous emails to Currie, Davis wrote that he was resigning “not … because I want to, (but) because I must.” He described his experience working for Jones as “one of the worst work experiences I’ve ever had” and wrote that he “endured things like constant intimidation, bullying, and mental abuse by Coach Jones.”

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The work conditions caused Davis to experience “a high level (of) anxiety and other health issues thus creating my need to resign,” he wrote to Currie.

Davis also wrote that he was upset about not receiving merit raises throughout his employment of five-plus years and wrote that he felt Currie was “hostile” toward him during a conversation in Currie’s office about Davis' concerns.

Larry McCormack / The Tennessean

Davis wrote that he initially approached Currie about his concerns on Sept. 22 but saw no action taken.

In his email on Nov. 2, Davis wrote to Sigmon that Sigmon had asked Davis on Oct. 31 “about my intention as it pertained to speaking with the media, etc., and I said to you that I would like to have a quiet and smooth transition and that I would not have anything more to say. I also stated that I did not have confidence that Coach Jones would do the same and you reassured me that it would not be an issue.”

Davis added that he held up his end of the bargain.

“I have not made any statements or comments concerning my decision to resign,” Davis wrote. “However, if needed, I can make a public statement concerning this matter and the circumstances surrounding it in order to protect my character and my name. Also note that if this continues, I will not hesitate to seek legal counsel so as to make sure my name is not slandered.”

Mike Wilson/News Sentinel

Davis copied Currie, senior associate athletics director Donna Thomas and an account listed as “UT Football Coach” — presumably Jones — on the email to Sigmon.

Davis has not spoken publicly since his resignation.

Jones was fired on Nov. 12 amid his fifth season as Tennessee’s coach. Currie said at the time that Jones' firing did not pertain to the matter with Davis and that Jones’ firing was due to on-field performance.

Curie also has since been fired, on Dec. 1, amid his chaotic search to replace Jones as coach.

Michael Patrick/News Sentinel

The VFL program started under former UT football coach Derek Dooley to help players in the areas of character education, life skills, career development and spiritual growth. Davis, a former All-American player for Tennessee, had coordinated the program since 2012.