When Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and hired Jim Knowles as his replacement early last month, it was not known how much leeway Knowles would have in bringing in his own assistants.
A significant amount, as it turns out.
Tennessee, which had its 8-5 season end with Tuesday night’s 30-28 loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl, announced the hirings Friday night of Anthony Poindexter as co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, Andrew “AJ” Jackson as outside linebackers coach and Michael Hunter as cornerbacks coach. Knowles worked with Poindexter and Jackson this year at Penn State and with Hunter the season before at Ohio State, when the Buckeyes won the 2024 national championship.
Only two defensive assistants for this season’s Volunteers, line coach Rodney Garner and linebackers coach William Inge, will continue in the program, as Heupel has moved on from Banks, outside linebackers coach Levorn Harbin and secondary coach Willie Martinez.
Garner has agreed to a two-year extension that will pay him $1 million annually.