I think Tennessee could be fixin to offer him good money. There's a lot of that starting to circle around.
After Butch Jones and Derek Dooley, I think Tennessee will be hesitant to hire another head coach from a smaller program with no ties to Tennessee.
Jim Bob Cooter might be a slam dunk if he had a better name - he's the Lions offensive coordinator and former Tennessee QB. Might be hard to recruit with that name, though. I also wouldn't be surprised if they pursued Venables.
Tennessee is pretty much the Nebraska of the SEC -haven't been relevant since the 90s. They are closer to good recruiting areas, but you also have to remember they are competing with the likes of Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, etc. for these recruits. It is not an easy job by any means.