It’s possible that one of the Tennessee Vols’ newest assistant coaches could be one and done on Rocky Top.

When Vols head coach Josh Heupel hired Jim Knowles to replace Tim Banks as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, he allowed Knowles to hire some of his own coaches.

One of the coaches that Knowles hired was co-defensive coordinator/secondary coach Anthony Poindexter.

Poindexter, a former Virginia safety who spent three seasons in the NFL, spent the 2025 season with Knowles at Penn State.

Landing Poindexter was a big addition for Tennessee, but it could be tough for the Vols to keep him beyond the 2026 season.

On3’s Pete Nakos labeled Poindexter this week as an assistant who could be a head coach candidate following the 2026 season.

“A former star safety at Virginia, Poindexter was a longtime assistant on James Franklin’s staffs at Penn State,” wrote Nakos. “He made the move to Tennessee this offseason, following defensive coordinator Jim Knowles from State College. Four of his safeties were drafted from 2021-25 at Penn State.”

It’s too early to know how the coaching cycle will play out this winter. But if the Vols’ defense takes a big step forward, it’s certainly not out of the question that Poindexter could generate some head coaching interest. And considering Poindexter just turned 50 in July, he could look to strike while the iron is hot and take a shot at being a head coach.

For now, though, it’s just speculation. There’s a long way to go before those conversations will happen. Still, it’ll be something to monitor later this year depending on how Tennessee’s defense — specifically the secondary — performs this fall.