The Tennessee Vols haven't seen many coaching staff changes during Josh Heupel's first two years leading the program. 

So far, Tennessee has lost a wide receivers coach to the NFL (Kodi Burns to the New Orleans Saints) and an offensive coordinator to a head coaching job (Alex Golesh to USF). 

The incredible staff continuity has been one of the main ingredients to Tennessee's early success under Heupel. 

Former Vols standout Robert Ayers, a first-round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, joined Tennessee's coaching staff earlier this offseason as a graduate assistant. 

Ayers was at Tennessee during the last five years of the Phillip Fulmer era. The former Vols defensive lineman was also on the last Tennessee team to win the SEC East (2007). He saw some good (2004, 2006, and 2007) and he saw some bad (2005 and 2008). 

Between Ayers' time at Tennessee and his 10 years in the NFL, I'd say he knows what constitutes a great coaching staff. 

And he sees a great coaching staff in Knoxville. 

The former four-star recruit from Bennettsville, SC hasn't been on Heupel's staff for long, but he's been around long enough to know that there's something special about UT's current coaching staff. 

"Couldn’t have dreamed of a better staff to begin my college coaching career with," tweeted Ayers on Sunday, just a day after Tennessee's annual Orange and White spring game. 

Couldn’t have dreamed of a better staff to begin my college coaching career with… ?

— Robert E. Ayers Jr (@RobertAyersJr) April 16, 2023

Tennessee's had some great assistants over the years. Even during some down years for the program, there were still some tremendous assistant coaches that worked on Rocky Top. 

But this is the best collective group of assistant coaches that Tennessee's had since some of Phillip Fulmer's great coaching staffs. 

And that certainly bodes well for the future under Heupel.