Tennessee’s special teams coordinator for Josh Heupel’s first four seasons was Mike Ekeler, who had a lengthy background in football’s third phase, having headed up Georgia’s special teams during Mark Richt’s final two seasons as Bulldogs coach in 2014-15.
Evan Crabtree is Tennessee’s new special teams coordinator — Ekeler left the Volunteers in early February for Matt Rhule’s staff at Nebraska — and doesn’t have near the background.
In fact, he’s only 28.
“Special teams is a passion for me, because it’s a team-based unit, and you’ve got everybody involved,” Crabtree said Saturday afternoon after the Vols completed their 10th spring practice. “I had a passion when I was an offensive lineman, but when I stopped growing and didn’t get any taller, I became a snapper and started learning those phases.”
Crabtree played for Miami of Ohio as a 5-foot-11, 239-pounder, redshirting in 2015 and serving as long-snapper for 51 games during the next four seasons. After his playing career was over, Crabtree became a graduate assistant at his alma mater, where another GA with the RedHawks previously had worked under Heupel.
“That was kind of my way in,” Crabtree said.
Crabtree spent the past three seasons as a special teams analyst with the Vols but now has the role of coordinator. He is being aided by special teams assistant coach John Bonamego, who is 61 years old and was Central Michigan’s head coach from 2015-18, taking the Chippewas to three bowl games.
Having Bonamego’s experience is treasured by Crabtree, who appreciates the entire dynamic of Tennessee’s coaching staff.
“There is a tremendous foundation here, and it starts with Coach Heupel,” Crabtree said. “Coach Ekeler has helped mold me into a special teams guy and conceptually having a good understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish.
“With Coach Heupel, every day we do special teams, there is a standard and an expectation that our team is involved and our coaches are involved.”
Tennessee returns its primary special teams components from a season ago with kicker Max Gilbert (20-of-26 on field-goal attempts for a 76.9% clip), punter Jackson Ross (43.9-yard average on 53 punts), kickoff specialist Josh Turbyville (68 touchbacks in 82 attempts), punt returner Boo Carter (12 returns for 198 yards and a 16.5-yard average), and kickoff returner Peyton Lewis (seven returns for 151 yards and a 21.6-yard average).
The most notable absence will be long-snapper Matthew Salansky, who held down that role for five seasons, but Crabtree said redshirt junior Bennett Brady out of Evangelical Christian in Memphis will be eager to fill the void.
Crabtree is not among Heupel’s 10 full-time assistant coaches but is the latest to receive a promotion from an analyst position, joining fourth-year receivers coach Kelsey Pope, third-year tight ends coach Alec Abeln and new outside linebackers coach Levorn “Chop” Harbin.
“It’s not just, ‘Hey, you’re the next in line, so you’re the guy,'” Abeln said. “Crab earned that every single day that he was here in the role before. He brought a lot to the table, and he has done a really good job through the spring and has continued to add value.”
The Vols are scheduled to scrimmage for the second time Monday morning before practicing Wednesday and Friday in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s Orange & White game.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.