There's a decent chance that a coveted defensive coordinator could be available this offseason. And I'm sure there will be some Tennessee Vols fans calling for UT to hire him. 

Mississippi State head coach Zach Arnett took over as the Bulldogs' head coach last December after Mike Leach's unfortunate passing. Arnett previously served as Mississippi State's defensive coordinator. 

So far this season, things haven't gone smoothy for Arnett. The former New Mexico linebacker is 4-4 through his eight games as a head coach and he's already landing on a couple of hot seat lists. 

From 247Sports: Zach Arnett had the impossible task of stepping in for Mike Leach after the legendary coach's death in December. He was given the job with a four-year contract (the state's maximum allowed for public employees) and the program has regressed, particularly offensively, and athletics director Zac Selmon might have a difficult decision to make in a few weeks. MSU's only SEC win is against Arkansas in a 7-3 rock fight. Kentucky, Texas A&M and Ole Miss remain on the schedule. A 1-2 record in those games could lead to a change. Arnett is due roughly $4.5 million if fired after the season, which isn't too rich for the Bulldogs' blood. This is just an uncomfortable situation for all involved. Arnett was unfairly labeled a temporary leader for the Bulldogs by critics in the preseason but so far he has failed to prove them wrong.

Arnett could still be a solid head coach one day, but he probably got thrown into a head coaching gig before he was ready. 

But while he isn't finding much luck as a head coach, Arnett is highly respected as a defensive coordinator. 

With Tennessee's defense still showing some inconsistencies at times, it wouldn't be a shock if some fans call for the Vols to replace current UT defensive coordinator Tim Banks with Arnett. 

And Tennessee should absolutely ignore those calls. 

Nothing against Arnett. I thought he would've been a great hire by Josh Heupel back in 2021 before Banks was hired. But I think replacing a well-liked defensive coordinator who gets along well with his staff before a 2024 season in which the Vols are hoping to compete for a national championship would be a major mistake. 

For starters, I think Banks is doing a great job at Tennessee. It hasn't always been perfect, but there aren't many defensive coordinators out there who don't have some blemishes on their resume. Offenses are throwing the ball more than ever. And sometimes, you just get got. That was the case this past week for the Vols when Kentucky passed for nearly 400 yards on Tennessee's defense. 

Banks admitted this week that the Vols focused on stopping the run against the Wildcats (and they did…UK running back Ray Davis rushed for just 42 yards). But that opened things up a bit for Kentucky's passing game. The Vols still managed to hold Kentucky to 27 points in Lexington. And that was good enough to get the win. It wasn't always pretty, but Banks did his job. 

The last thing Tennessee needs to do before a season in which they're expected to reach the playoff is bring in a whole new defensive staff. 

Tennessee tried that in 2016 when they hired Bob Shoop to replace John Jancek (who did a great job in 2015). The move was a disaster. Shoop didn't gel with Butch Jones. The defense regressed. And a playoff caliber Tennessee team finished 9-4. 

Continuity is important and the Vols would be foolish to throw that away ahead of the 2024 season. The only way Tennessee should pursue Arnett is if Banks leaves to become a head coach elsewhere. And even then, the only way it makes sense if Arnett proves that he can gel with Heupel from the jump. 

There’s one uniform choice that Tennessee absolutely can’t make for Missouri game

They just can’t make that choice