University of Tennessee Athletics
Football
- Title:
- Special Teams Coordinator / Inside Linebackers
Kevin Sherrer enters his second season on head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s staff. After spending his first season as co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, Sherrer will serve as special teams coordinator in addition to inside linebackers coach.
Sherrer has coached six linebackers selected in the NFL Draft in the last five years. He has won two national championships and three SEC championships.
In his first season on Rocky Top, Sherrer helped a UT defense improve 74 spots from 2017 to 2018 in run defense and 45 spots in third down defense.
Prior to arriving in Knoxville, Sherrer spent the previous four seasons as the outside linebackers coach at Georgia, where he helped lead the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff National Championship game in 2017.
He also was the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at South Alabama in 2013 and served as the director of player development at Alabama from 2010-12.
Sherrer was a three-year letterwinner at tight end at Alabama from 1993-95 and was an accomplished high school assistant coach in the state, including replacing Pruitt as defensive coordinator at prep powerhouse Hoover High School.
THE SHERRER FILE
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: March 19, 1973
Hometown: Oneonta, Ala.
Education: Bachelor's in Physical Education (Alabama '96) / Master's in Higher Education Administration (Alabama '00)
Playing Experience: Alabama - TE (1993-95)
Wife: Carrie
Children: Kaleb, Kyle
Coaching History
1996-97: Tuscaloosa County HS, Defensive Asst.
1998-2000: Alabama, Graduate Asst.
2001-04: Spain Park HS, DBs
2005-09: Hoover HS, Defensive Coord./Defensive Asst.
2010-12: Alabama, Dir. of Player Development
2013: South Alabama, Defensive Coord./DBs
2014-17: Georgia, Outside LBs
2018: Tennessee, Defensive Coord./Inside LBs
2019-present: Tennessee, Special Teams Coord./Inside LBs
Tennessee (2018-Present)
In his first season on Rocky Top, Sherrer served as the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. The Tennessee defense was one of the most improved in college football in 2018, jumping up 74 spots in run defense with opponents rushing for nearly 100 yards less than in 2017 (251 yards in 2017 to 154 yards in 2018). The Vols defense also moved up 45 spots nationally in third-down defense with opponents converting just 39 percent of their third downs compared to 45 percent in 2017.
Starting inside linebacker Daniel Bituli led the team in tackles (79) while finishing fourth on the team in tackles for loss (6.5). Fellow inside linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. was fourth on the team in tackles (51) while finishing fifth in tackles for loss (5.0).
After the conclusion of the 2018 season, Sherrer took over as special teams coordinator while still remaining as inside linebackers coach.
Georgia (2014-17)
Sherrer worked at Georgia from 2014-17, serving as the program’s outside linebackers coach. During his time in Athens, Sherrer coached under Mark Richt and Kirby Smart, helping lead the Bulldogs to an SEC Championship and a spot in the National Championship Game during the 2017 season.
While in Athens, Sherrer coached three linebackers that were selected in the NFL Draft in Lorenzo Carter (2018), Leonard Floyd (2016) and Jordan Jenkins (2016). He also helped coach inside linebacker NFL picks Roquan Smith (2018), Ramik Wilson (2015) and Amarlo Herrera (2015). Sherrer has coached five players who have received All-SEC honors and two All-Americans, as Carter earned Freshman All-America honors in 2014 and Smith received consensus All-America honors in 2017.
UGA’s defensive unit in 2017 was one of the best in the country, ranking in the top 12 nationally during the regular season in scoring defense (T-3rd), total defense (4th), rushing defense (12th) and passing defense (2nd).
Carter was a key player on the Dawgs defense, earning second-team All-SEC honors. He was third on the team in tackles (61), fourth in sacks (4.5) and tied for third in tackles for loss (7.5), while leading the Bulldogs with three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.
The Bulldogs finished in the top 20 in total defense during all four of Sherrer’s seasons and finished the season ranked in the top 16 in scoring defense three times. Sherrer coached under Pruitt, who served as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator, during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
South Alabama (2013)
Before moving on to Georgia, Sherrer spent one season as defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach at South Alabama in 2013. Under Sherrer’s guidance, the Jaguars ranked third in the nation with 3.17 sacks per game and 17th with 7.25 TFLs per game. USA finished among the league leaders in a handful of defensive categories. They ranked second in the conference in scoring defense (25.2 ppg), total defense (384.2 ypg) and passing defense (224.6 ypg), while finishing third in the conference in rushing defense (159.7 ypg).
South Alabama had three defensive players earn All-Sun Belt honors on defense in defensive linemen Romelle Jones and Alex Page, as well as linebacker Enrique Williams.
Alabama (2010-12)
Sherrer’s first full-time job in college football was as the director of player development for Alabama from 2010-12. Sherrer’s responsibilities included assisting Crimson Tide student-athletes with academics, community outreach and their personal lives. During his tenure, Bama posted a 35-5 overall record while winning back-to-back BCS national titles in 2011 and 2012.
Pre-College Coaching Career
Prior to joining the college coaching ranks, Sherrer was an accomplished high school assistant coach at Alabama high school powerhouse Hoover (2005-09), Spain Park (2001-04) and Tuscaloosa County (1996-97). Sherrer worked with Pruitt at Hoover High School in 2005 and 2006 and took over as defensive coordinator for the Bucs when Pruitt left to take the director of player development job at Alabama. In Sherrer’s first season on the staff at Hoover, the Bucs claimed the state 6A championship, a feat they would repeat in 2009. While Sherrer was on the staff, the Buccaneers posted a 61-12 overall record.
Sherrer was also the defensive backs coach at Spain Park High School from 2001-04, where he helped the Jaguars win 16 games his last two seasons after going 3-7 in the school’s first-ever year competing in football. Spain Park finished 7-4 the following fall after qualifying for the state 6A playoffs, and in 2004 the Jaguars advanced to the quarterfinals en route to a 9-4 overall mark.
He got his start in the coaching ranks as an assistant at Tuscaloosa County High during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. Sherrer helped lead the Wildcats to the state 6A championship in his second year on the staff.
Between his time at Tuscaloosa County and Spain Park, Sherrer spent three years as a graduate assistant at Alabama on head coach Mike DuBose’s staff from 1998-2000, assisting on defense while also helping to coordinate scout teams, video breakdown and on-campus recruiting. The Tide won the 1999 SEC title and played in the Orange Bowl that season.
Background
Sherrer was a three-year letterwinner as a tight end at Alabama from 1993-95, helping the Crimson Tide to a 29-7-1 overall record and two SEC West Division titles in that span. He earned his degree in physical education from Alabama in 1996 and he earned his master’s degree in higher education administration from the school in 2000. Sherrer and his wife Carrie have twin sons, Kaleb and Kyle.
National Championships
2011 & 2012 – Alabama (Director of Player Personnel)
Conference Championships
2017 SEC – Georgia (Outside Linebackers Coach)
2012 SEC – Alabama (Director of Player Development)
1999 SEC – Alabama (Graduate Assistant)
All-Americans Coached
LB Roquan Smith – Georgia '17 – Unanimous
LB Lorenzo Carter – Georgia '14 – Sporting News Freshman
National Award Winners Coached
LB Roquan Smith – Georgia '17 – Dick Butkus Award
NFL Draft Picks Coached (6 draft picks, 1 first round)
LB D'Andre Walker (RD 5) – Georgia ‘19 – Tennessee Titans
LB Lorenzo Carter (RD 3) – Georgia ’18 – New York Giants
LB Leonard Floyd (RD 1) – Georgia '16 – Chicago Bears
LB Jordan Jenkins (RD 4) – Georgia '16 – New York Jets
LB Ramik Wilson (RD 4) – Georgia '15 – Kansas City Chiefs
LB Amarlo Herrera (RD 6) – Georgia '15 – Indianapolis Colts
