New Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has reportedly added more Southeastern Conference flavor to his staff.
Kodi Burns, a receiver on Auburn's 2010 national championship team and the receivers coach of the Tigers for the past five seasons, is expected to relocate to Knoxville. Burns received the added title of co-offensive coordinator during his final two seasons at Auburn under head coach Gus Malzahn, who was fired in December following eight years on the Plains that yielded a 68-35 record, three wins over rival Alabama, two SEC West titles and one overall league crown.
Burns is already working for Tennessee, according to Football Scoop, which also reported Monday that Heupel is hiring Southern California director of scouting and recruiting strategy Trey Johnson for a similar role. Johnson was a graduate assistant in Tennessee's recruiting office during the 2015-16 seasons, earning his undergraduate degree in business/sports management in 2015 and his graduate degree in recreation and sports management in 2016.
Before his days as a Tennessee student, Johnson was a football and basketball team captain at Boyd-Buchanan High School, where he also served as the FCA president for two years.
Auburn went 15-8 the past two seasons with Burns on staff, with that stretch highlighted by a 48-45 win over Alabama in 2019 and a 48-11 drubbing of LSU this past season. Receiver was certainly a team strength for the Tigers with Anthony Schwartz, Eli Stove and Seth Williams - a trio that is eligible for the 2021 NFL draft, with Schwartz and Williams having bypassed their senior seasons.
Trey Johnson / Contributed photoBurns was a graduate assistant on Auburn's 2013 team that won the SEC and played in the final BCS championship game, and he served as Samford's running backs coach in 2014 and Middle Tennessee State's receivers coach in 2015 before returning to his alma mater. He signed with Auburn as a quarterback but was moved to receiver and caught a 35-yard touchdown during the 22-19 triumph over Oregon in the BCS championship game of the 2010 season.
Heupel has reportedly brought three offensive assistants who worked with him this past season at UCF - offensive line coach Glen Elarbee, tight ends coach Alex Golesh and quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle - though no hires have been confirmed through the school. The Knights averaged 568.1 yards and 42.2 points this past season.
Elarbee and Halzle worked at Missouri when Heupel served as Barry Odom's offensive coordinator in the 2016-17 seasons, with Elarbee as the offensive line coach and Halzle as an analyst. It is not known who will have the title of Tennessee's offensive coordinator or whether that will be shared.
Heupel already has stated that he will handle the play-calling chores.
As far as Heupel's hunt for a defensive coordinator, the ABC affiliate in Columbus, Ohio, reported Monday night that Tennessee is prepared to offer Ohio State linebackers coach Al Washington a three-year contract at nearly $1 million annually.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.