Vols add veteran assistant

Palermo, 59, to coach UT defensive linemen

KNOXVILLE — Veteran coach John Palermo has agreed to join Tennessee coach Derek Dooley’s staff as defensive line coach, the university announced Friday.

“John is one of the most respected defensive line coaches in the nation,” Dooley said in a statement. “He has a history of coaching and developing multiple All-americans, all- conference players, first-round draft picks, and Pro Bowl players. Adding a coach with John’s abilities and successful track record will have a positive impact on our defensive line and our program.”

Palermo’s deal will be for two years, a source told the Knoxville News Sentinel. The deal follows suit with recent agreements with new running backs coach Jay Graham and new offensive line coach Sam Pittman.

New defensive coordinator Sal Sunseri’s contract will run through three seasons.

Palermo, 59, replaces Lance Thompson, who left UT last Sunday to take Sunseri’s vacated position as outside linebackers coach at Alabama.

Palermo’s most recent stop in a 37year coaching career was at Middle Tennessee State. After two seasons, he resigned in December to pursue other opportunities.

Also, San Diego Chargers special teams coach Rich Bisaccia could not get out of his contract, a source told the News Sentinel on Friday, and will not join the Vols in the same capacity. John Palermo the hometown of its state rival.

The billboard, which was unveiled earlier this month close to the Ole Miss campus in Oxford, says “Play With The Best” and features Mississippi State players holding the Egg Bowl trophy — which is given to the winner of the annual Mississippi State-ole Miss football game.

Mississippi State compliance director Bracky Brett said the NCAA did not order the school to take the billboard down. Brett said the billboard was taken down “as a precautionary measure to make sure we’re conducting ourselves within the rules.”

He said his office has not submitted any violation reports to the NCAA or Southeastern Conference, but the school will continue to look into the situation.

Briefly: Former Tulsa receiver Dan Bitson is returning to his alma mater as the Golden Hurricane’s new running backs coach, filling a vacancy created when Holman Wiggins took a similar job at Memphis. ... New York Jets outside linebackers coach Mike Smith is joining the coaching staff at West Virginia University. His assignment was not released. ... Boise State football coach Chris Petersen has hired former Montana and Idaho assistant Jonathan Smith as the Broncos’ quarterbacks coach.