Tennessee Football Announces New Coaches With Jim Knowles Assistants

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 12, 2026, 5:39 AM

tennessee football announces new coaches with jim knowles assistants

Josh Heupel announced his 2026 Tennessee football coaching staff after firing multiple assistants and reshaping it for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. UT announced the staff changes on Jan. 2, three days after the Vols (8-5) lost 30-28 to Illinois in the Music City Bowl to finish a disappointing 2025 season. Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and secondary coach Willie Martinez. Outside linebacker coach Levorn Harbin will no longer be part of the on-field coaching staff. Heupel did not retain strength coach Kurt Schmidt, whose contract expires Jan.

31. And he did not retain assistant secondary coach Earnest Thomas, who was not under contract as a support staff member. Heupel hired former Penn State co-defensive coordinator Anthony Poindexter (co-defensive coordinator/secondary), former Penn State assistant Andrew Jackson (edge rushers) and former Ohio State assistant Michael Hunter Jr. (cornerbacks) because of their familiarity with Knowles' defensive scheme. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner and linebackers coach William Inge were retained. Tennessee announced the hiring of three defensive assistant coaches on Friday.

Anthony Poindexter will serve as the Vols' co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach. He served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Penn State from 2021-25. Andrew Jackson will serve as a LEO coach for the Vols. He was an assistant defensive line coach for the Nittany Lions. Michael Hunter Jr. was also announced as Tennessee's cornerbacks coach.

He was an assistant defensive backs coach at Ohio State from 2024-25. Tennessee hired defensive coordinator Jim Knowles following the 2025 regular season. He was Penn State's defensive coordinator in 2025 after serving in the same capacity at Ohio State from 2022-24. Tennessee Football on Friday night announced the hiring of Anthony Poindexter as co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach, Andrew Jackson as LEOs coach and Michael Hunter Jr. as cornerbacks coach. The three additions were made by Tennessee coach Josh Heupel and his new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles.

“We are excited about the experienced defensive staff we have assembled as we start the New Year,” Heupel said in a press release. “This group has a long, distinguished track record of outstanding recruiting, player development and coaching technique in either the Big Ten or SEC. “They are already in our facility and working hard with Coach Knowles to help restore the standard of defense we expect to play at Tennessee. We would like to formally welcome Anthony, Andrew and Michael to Rocky Top.” Poindexter spent the last five seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Penn State, working under Knowles last season. He had four Penn State safeties selected in the NFL Draft, including three in the first three rounds.

Tennessee football is bringing in a new-look defensive staff under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. The Vols parted ways with Tim Banks, who had worked as defensive coordinator under head coach Josh Heupel since 2021, following the season. UT officially announced its new defensive staff on Friday. Tennessee retains linebackers coach William Inge and defensive line coach Rodney Garner, but adds three new faces in Anthony Poindexter, Andrew Jackson and Michael Hunter Jr. The new staff holds a combined 101 years of Power Four coaching experience and has produced over 70 NFL Draft picks. All have coached in either a College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six Bowl or BCS Championship with a combined 38 appearances.

“We are excited about the experienced defensive staff we have assembled as we start the New Year,” Heupel said in a release. “This group has a long, distinguished track record of outstanding recruiting, player development and coaching technique in either the Big Ten or SEC. They are already in our facility and working hard with Coach Knowles to help restore the standard of defense we expect to play at Tennessee. We would like to formally welcome Anthony, Andrew and Michael to Rocky Top.” Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has overhauled his defensive coaching staff for the 2026 season. The changes follow a disappointing 2025 season and the hiring of new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

Heupel fired numerous assistants and did not retain the strength coach. Heupel announced his 2026 Tennessee football coaching staff after firing multiple assistants and reshaping it for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. UT announced the staff changes on Jan. 2, three days after the Vols (8-5) lost 30-28 to Illinois in the Music City Bowl to finish a disappointing 2025 season. Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and secondary coach Willie Martinez. Outside linebacker coach Levorn Harbin will no longer be part of the on-field coaching staff.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has made notable changes to his football staff, notably on the defensive side, as the new year begins. Heupel expressed his excitement about the newly assembled defensive staff, highlighting their experience and track record in recruiting, player development, and coaching technique from the Big Ten and SEC. The coaches are already working with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to “restore the standard of defense” at Tennessee. Tennessee football will to hire Penn State assistant coach Anthony Poindexter on Jim Knowles' defensive staff, Knox News confirmed. Tennessee has not announced Poindexter's hiring. It usually does that only after a contract or memorandum of understanding is signed.

Poindexer would join Ohio State assistant Michael Hunter and Penn State assistant Andrew Jackson as the new additions to UT's defensive staff. Poindexter spent the past five seasons as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Penn State, where he worked alongside Knowles in the 2025 season. In December, Tennessee coach Josh Heupel hired Knowles to replace fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks. Now Knowles is retooling the defensive coaching staff, and Poindexter is a key addition. Now that Tennessee football has hired Jim Knowles, the new defensive coordinator has plenty of work to do. Knowles must work with coach Josh Heupel to construct his defensive staff.

He must evaluate the returning roster and determine immediate needs to fill in the transfer portal. Here are five things Knowles must do quickly as he takes the helm of Tennessee’s defense. UT has four defensive position coaches remaining from the 2025 staff under Tim Banks, who was fired as defensive coordinator. Heupel and Knowles must decide who will stay for the 2026 season and who’ll be replaced. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner is regarded as one of the best at his position in college football. But his contract expires on Jan.

31, 2026. Linebackers coach William Inge’s contract also expires on Jan. 31, 2026.

Tennessee Football Announces New Coaches With Jim Knowles Assistants

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