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Reports: Tennessee fires AD John Currie

John Currie came to Tennessee earlier this year. (CBS Sports)
John Currie came to Tennessee earlier this year. (CBS Sports)

Tennessee’s disastrous coaching search has cost athletic director John Currie his job.

The university fired Currie on Friday, according to multiple reports.

The athletic director fired Butch Jones with two weeks to go in the regular season and thought he had his replacement on Sunday with Ohio State defensive coordinator Greg Schiano. But as the deal with Schiano came together, Tennessee fans revolted. The fan backlash caused Currie and the administration to crumble, leaving Schiano without the job he thought he was getting and Tennessee without a coach.

In the days after Schiano, Tennessee reportedly chased after coaches like Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Purdue’s Jeff Brohm and N.C. State’s Dave Doeren. All three of those coaches did not make the move to Knoxville.

Thursday night, Currie reportedly met with Washington State coach Mike Leach in Los Angeles. He returned to Knoxville on Friday. Per other reports, Currie has been undermined by others at Tennessee, including former coach Phil Fulmer.

Currie drafted a memorandum of understanding with Leach that the WSU coach would take the job with the school, according to Sports Illustrated. After sending the MOU back to Knoxville, Currie was immediately summoned back.

But someone at Tennessee—sources close to the negotiation will not say who—was displeased with Currie’s courtship of Leach. Shortly after a draft of a Memorandum of Understanding was sent to Tennessee’s general counsel on Thursday, Currie was ordered to return to Knoxville.

Currie came to Tennessee earlier in 2017 from Kansas State.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!