Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle and receivers coach Kelsey Pope have received new two-year contracts that include pay hikes.
Pope is also receiving the added title of passing-game coordinator.
The Volunteers returned only three offensive starters this season yet rank fourth nationally with 482.0 yards a game and seventh in scoring with 40.8 points per contest. Tennessee completed an 8-4 regular season and is headed to the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30 against Illinois, which is also 8-4.
Halzle has been with head coach Josh Heupel for all five seasons in Knoxville, with quarterbacks as his direct responsibility. He was elevated to offensive coordinator following the 2022 regular season when Alex Golesh — the new Auburn head coach — received his first head-coaching opportunity at South Florida.
After earning $850,000 each of the past two seasons, Halzle is scheduled to make $1.45 million each of the next two years.
Pope has also worked with Heupel for five years, serving as an offensive analyst in 2021 before becoming receivers coach in March 2022 when Kodi Burns left to become receivers coach of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. In Pope’s first year as a full-time assistant, Jalin Hyatt amassed 1,267 yards to become the first Biletnikoff Award winner in program history.
This season, Tennessee produced three receivers with more than 700 yards for the first time. Redshirt junior Chris Brazzell II led the way with 1,017 yards, with redshirt freshman Braylon Staley next with 806 and sophomore Mike Matthews with 770.
Staley this week was named as the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, while Brazzell announced he would be bypassing the bowl game for the NFL draft.
In Pope’s new deal, he will make $800,000 during the 2026 season and $850,000 during the 2027 season. He has been earning $550,000 annually.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com.