Former Tennessee assistant emerges as candidate at Appalachian State

Former Tennessee assistant coach Geep Wade is a candidate to become the next offensive line coach at Appalachian State, per Football Scoop. Wade would replace Nic Cardwell, who left the program this offseason to become the next tight ends coach at Louisville.

A Nashville native, Wade was a graduate assistant for the Volunteers during the 2004 season. He has also coached at in-state programs Chattanooga, UT-Martin and Middle Tennessee. The veteran coach most recently spent this past season as the offensive line coach at Georgia State.

In addition to being offensive line coach, Wade was also the offensive coordinator at UT-Martin in 2018. He helped produce the second-highest single-season passing attack in school history with an averaging of 334.7 yards per game through the air. Wade was also a member of the East Carolina staff in 2016 when the Pirates generated 467.1 total yards per game, the fourth-highest in program history.

If the former Tennessee graduate assistant is indeed named the next offensive line coach at Appalachian State, it would open up another recently filled position. Wade was named the offensive line coach at Tulane on Feb. 1, where he is set to replace Chris Watt.

Appalachian State finished this past season 10-4 in coach Shawn Clark’s second year at the helm. The Mountaineers ranked second in the Sun Belt in total offense behind only Coastal Carolina with an average of 441.6 yards per game. They earned an appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl, where they lost to Western Kentucky by a score of 59-38.

If Wade takes the job, he will have plenty of talent to start out with. Appalachian State is set to return starting quarterback Chase Brice, who threw for 3,337 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions this past season. The Mountaineers open up the 2022 season on Sept. 3 against the North Carolina Tar Heels.