One thing Vols head coach Josh Heupel must avoid while searching for a defensive coordinator to replace Tim Banks at Tennessee
The Tennessee Vols parted ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks on Monday.
The Tennessee Vols officially parted ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks on Monday.
Tennessee made the move after the Vols finished the 2025 season with the No. 92 scoring defense in the nation.
“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.”
Banks had served as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator since 2021. The Vols finished with the No. 7 scoring defense in the nation in 2024 under Banks’ guidance.
The one thing Josh Heupel must avoid while searching for a defensive coordinator to replace Tim Banks at Tennessee
Time will tell whether the decision to move on from Banks was the right choice by the Vols.
There’s certainly an opportunity, however, for Tennessee to improve on the defensive side of the ball with their next defensive coordinator hire. And it’s definitely a hire that Heupel needs to get right.
For that to happen, though, it’s critical that Heupel avoids hiring a big name just to hire a big name. If Heupel is going to maximize this opportunity, he has to hire the best fit. Heupel can’t make this hire based simply on metrics and analytics. Sure, those things will be important, and Heupel has to find a defensive coordinator that’s proved they can be successful at a high level, but the fit has to be right or it won’t work.
It’s been 10 years since Butch Jones was praised by Vols fans for firing defensive coordinator John Jancek so he could hire Bob Shoop away from Penn State. The move was viewed as a big upgrade for the Vols, but it turned out to be the opposite. Tennessee had the No. 16 scoring defense in the nation under Jancek in 2015. The Vols had the No. 70 scoring defense in 2016 under Shoop.
The big-name hire can absolutely be the right hire, but it’s not automatic that it’ll be the right hire — the fit matters.
Heupel needs to make the hire that will help Tennessee win games in 2026, not the one that will win headlines in the winter.
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The Tennessee Vols are reportedly parting ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
