5 options to replace Tim Banks as the Tennessee Vols’ defensive coordinator
The Tennessee Vols are reportedly parting ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
The Tennessee Vols are reportedly parting ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
“I want to thank Tim for everything he has done for Tennessee the last five seasons,” said Vols head coach Josh Heupel in a statement on Monday. “He helped restore our program to national prominence. More importantly, Tim is a great man of character and someone I have the utmost respect for. We wish Tim all the best moving forward.”
The news comes after Tennessee finished the 2025 season ranked No. 92 in scoring defense.
According to Football Scoop’s John Brice, Tennessee will owe Banks $3.75 million.
5 options to replace Tim Banks as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee
It’s obviously early in Heupel’s search for a new defensive coordinator, so the names on this list will likely change in the coming days, but here’s an early look at some potential defensive coordinator candidates for the Vols.
Jim Knowles, Former Ohio State and Penn State defensive coordinator
Tennessee saw Knowles firsthand in the first round of the 2024 College Football Playoff. Knowles, then the defensive coordinator for the Buckeyes, held Tennessee’s offense to just 17 points. Knowles left Columbus for Penn State after the 2024 season, but the Nittany Lions’ season quickly went off the rails (head coach James Franklin was fired in October). Knowles spent eight seasons at Duke working under David Cutcliffe, a former Tennessee offensive coordinator.
Travaris Robinson, Georgia co-defensive coordinator
Robinson, a former Auburn defensive back, has plenty of SEC connections. The Miami native has coached at Auburn, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia. It’s never easy to swipe a staff member from the Bulldogs. Still, Robinson could be interested in leaving Georgia, where Glenn Schumann is the primary play-caller, so that he can be in charge of his own defense. Robinson, by the way, worked with Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner at Auburn.
Al Golden, Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator
The Bengals have the No. 32 scoring defense in the NFL so far this season, so there’s no guarantee that Golden will return in 2026. And if Cincinnati moves on from Golden, he’s expected to be an in-demand defensive coordinator at the collegiate level. Golden served as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator in 2024, leading the Irish to the No. 5 scoring defense in the nation.
Jerod Mayo, Former New England Patriots head coach
Mayo, a former Tennessee linebacker, could be an intriguing option for the Vols. Despite his uninspiring NFL head coaching debut with the Patriots in 2024, Mayo is still a well-thought-of coach who is viewed as a tremendous leader.
One problem for Mayo is that he’s spent his entire NFL career in the New England/Bill Belichick bubble. Mayo spent eight seasons as a player with the Patriots (the only NFL team he played for) before spending five seasons (2019 to 2023) as an assistant coach under Belichick. Heupel may want someone with more collegiate experience.
Shiel Wood, Texas Tech defensive coordinator
Texas Tech has the No. 3 scoring defense in college football this season under Wood. The former Wofford wide receiver doesn’t have any SEC experience, but he’s a fast-rising name in college football. The lack of SEC experience, by the way, isn’t always big negative.
New Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding, for example, was at UTSA and had no SEC experience when he was hired by Nick Saban at Alabama ahead of the 2018 season.
Update:
Another name that makes sense that we forgot to include initially is Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters.
Walters, who worked with Heupel at Oklahoma in 2012 and at Missouri in 2016 and 2017, didn’t fare well as Purdue’s head coach, going 5-19 in two seasons. But he led Illinois to the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation in 2022.
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