Chaney served as the offensive coordinator and multiple other assistant positions for other NCAA football programs such as:Purdue,Wyoming,Cal State Fullerton, andWestern Michigan.[3][4] Between 2006 and 2009, he served as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Rams of theNational Football League (NFL), working with the offensive line and tight ends.[5] Chaney was brought to Tennessee in 2009 byLane Kiffin.[6] After the hiring of Derek Dooley in January 2010, it was confirmed that Chaney would remain at Tennessee as the offensive coordinator.[7] Tennessee named Chaney as the interim head coach on November 18, 2012, after it fired Dooley.[8] Six days later, Chaney won his only game as interim head coach as Tennessee defeatedKentucky 37–17.[9] Following his time at Tennessee, he had roles at Arkansas, Pitt, and Georgia as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.[10][11] On January 8, 2019, Chaney was hired to return to the University of Tennessee to serve as Jeremy Pruitt's Offensive Coordinator.[12] Following his departure at Tennessee, he was an offensive analyst for the New Orleans Saints and later Georgia Tech and Texas A&M.[13][14][15] He was named the offensive coordinator for Georgia State starting in the 2024 season.[16] He transitioned into an analyst role for Georgia State following the 2024 season.[17]
While at Purdue, Chaney, along with head coachJoe Tiller, became known for using thespread offense – famously dubbed "basketball on grass" – at a time when it was still considered a novelty and not commonly used. The system relied on a strong passing game and Chaney's offense was one of the most potent in the country.[18] This was evidenced by the fact that futureSuper Bowl-winning quarterbackDrew Brees (starting quarterback from 1998-2000) thrived in Chaney's offense and went on to break and set college,Big Ten andNCAA records.
WhenUrban Meyer took his first coaching job at Bowling Green, he sought advice from several of the best coaches using the spread offense, including Jim Chaney.[19] After spending a few years in theNFL Chaney gained a newfound appreciation for the pro-style offense.[20] When Chaney came to Tennessee, he and Kiffin fielded a very pro-style offense, very similar to what Kiffin used atUSC.
