We’ve heard it for a while now: It’s not a matter of if Butch Jones will be fired, it’s a matter of when.

If the average Tennessee fan had its way — or, should I say, the average Tennessee fan on the internet — Jones would’ve been fired after the Vols’ 15-9 home loss to South Carolina, but even after a 45-7 shellacking at the hands of Alabama, Jones still remains in Knoxville.

He remains in Knoxville despite the following resume: An overall record of 33-25 and a conference record of 14-22, countless losses that never should’ve occurred, had a player on the brink of becoming the program’s all-time leading rusher quit midway through his junior season, and utters quotes during press conferences that have turned Tennessee into a national laughing stock.

There’s one good thing you can say about him: At least he isn’t Derek Dooley.

Truly riveting stuff.

Jones is a dead man walking. He knows it. His players probably know it. Anybody who upholds a high standard for Tennessee football and hasn’t convinced themselves that Derek Dooley is the program’s benchmark knows it.

So now the question becomes, who is the replacement?

Practically every name has been thrown out there, but the individual (as Jones would say) athletic director John Currie should aggressively pursue is a name nobody is mentioning — Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead.

Moorhead isn’t yet a household name, but with the current trajectory of the Nittany Lions’ offense aiming toward the stratosphere, that’ll likely change.

What makes Moorhead so attractive as an offensive mind is his logical approach to implementing and calling his offense. By keeping concepts and language simple, his players — who also are tasked with tackling a full slate of classes — spend more time envisioning the plays taking shape instead of remembering a sequence of words.

Now, before you say life with a stud running back like Saquon Barkley must be easy, it’s important to remember that talent is often an overused and overrated term. You hear it all the team — Team A has talent. However, talent means nothing without proper coaching. If the alleged talent fails at grasping concepts, that’ll obviously lead to negative results on the field.

Clearly, there’s method to Moorhead’s simple madness. In 2015, the year before Moorhead joined James Franklin’s staff, Penn State finished 83rd in offensive efficiency. In 2016, the Nittany Lions skyrocketed to 22nd and currently feature the nation’s 11th most efficient offense.

He’s accomplished this by utilizing his prized possession Barkley in a practical way, while also squeezing out every ounce of potential from his quarterback, Trace McSorley, who has obvious limitations.

Although Moorhead is clearly an offensive savant, Tennessee fans probably wouldn’t respond kindly to his hiring given he’s only been a head coach once, and that was at Fordham. However, Moorhead brought immediate value to the Rams, going 38-13 during his four-year reign after a 16-28 clip during the four years preceding his arrival.

In addition to his coaching chops, Moorhead brings a perspective sorely lacking in Knoxville right now.

Before a fourth-quarter series last week against Michigan, Moorhead allegedly told his offense, “Remember 49-10?” in reference to Penn State’s 49-10 loss to the Wolverines in 2016. Clearly, his players remembered — the Nittany Lions ended up gaining 506 yards of total offense. Prior to that game, Michigan’s defense had not allowed more than 278 yards in any game.

Meanwhile, Butch Jones didn’t seem to keen on calling this season’s game against South Carolina a revenge game. Is it any wonder the Vols lost 15-9 at home?

Moorhead might not be the sexiest name available, but if Currie wants to bring Tennessee back to glory, he needs to get his hands on college football’s next great head coach before other programs in the SEC have the chance.

Featured Image via UTSports.com