Beard set to become Vols receivers coach

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee’s football coaching staff again is nearing its completion.

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni’s departure last week for the same position with the NFL’s Chicago Bears left the Volunteers and their much-changed staff with an added vacancy, but Tennessee is moving quickly for a replacement.

Florida International’s Kevin Beard is expected to become the new receivers coach for the Vols, the Times Free Press confirmed Tuesday afternoon.

Tennessee could announce the hire formally as soon as today.

The former standout for the Miami Hurricanes has been the front-runner for the job since late last week and interviewed over the weekend.

Beard worked with new Tennessee offensive coordinator Larry Scott at Miami in 2014 and 2015. Beard coached Miami’s receivers in 2015, when Scott took over as the interim head coach midway through the season and guided the Hurricanes to a 4-2 finish.

After he wasn’t retained by new Miami coach Mark Richt, Beard spent last season as a quality control coach at Georgia before he was hired to a full-time position in December with the Golden Panthers and new coach Butch Davis.

A Miami-area native, Beard totaled more than 900 receiving yards and caught nine touchdown passes during his career (1999-2003) with the Hurricanes at the height of their dominance. He was part of a national championship team in 2001 and was a captain for the 2003 team that went 11-2 — one of the losses being to Tennessee.

While at Miami, Beard played alongside the likes of future NFL receivers Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss and Roscoe Parrish. After his professional playing career concluded in 2007, he returned to South Florida and coached and trained the 7-on-7 teams at Davie’s University High School.

His pupils there included guys who became college standouts such as Alabama’s Amari Cooper, Florida State’s Travis Rudolph and Ermon Lane, Michigan State’s Macgarrett Kings, Vanderbilt’s Jordan Cunningham and Miami’s Herb Waters.

Beard should bolster Tennessee’s recruiting influence in Florida, from where the Vols have signed 12 players in their past two recruiting classes.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@ timesfreepress.com.