Insider Believes The Staff Changes Have Only Begun for Tennessee Football

This college football inside is confident that more staff changes are to come.

Nov 29, 2025; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel before a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images | Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers have been one of the teams that needed to make some ground up in the coaching carousel. They had to make some moves related to the firing of their defensive coordinator Tim Banks. Following Banks being let go, the Vols were in need of bringing in a guy that would meet the high standard of what fans are looking for.

While things may not be perfect, there is a chance that their newest hire will bring in a new flavor that helps the program see some early improvements. Their new hire is Jim Knowles, who is one of the DCs with a more proven resume.

Knowles is a guy who has quickly become a top name in college football, as he was the most recent DC national champion, as he was the defensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes last season. The Vols had a taste against a fiery Knowles defense.

There were many reasons the former Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions DC announced his decision to come to Tennessee. Obviously, the Tennessee job was in a better place than Penn State's job, but this isn't the only reported reason. In fact, the Tennessee Volunteers will likely see some more changes to the defensive staff, and that is due to the new man in charge. This is something that On3 reporter Chris Low had to say a few weeks ago, and he is more than doubling down after Knowles's being hired.

Low Talking About Tennessee's Staff

Davy Crockett runs the Power T flag across the end zone after a Tennessee touchdown during a college football game between Tennessee and Georgia at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 13, 2025. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“I think one of the things that was appealing to Jim to come here is that he’s going to get/make a couple of hires,” Low stated on the Josh and Swain show. “He’s been told he’s going to get a couple of hires….I’ve told you guys for a couple of weeks, and a lot of people doubted it, not because I said it, but I've told you guys for a couple weeks that there were going to be changes on Heupel’s staff. And I felt confident in that all along. And I don’t think this changes with Tim Banks leaving and Jim coming in. I think there will be more. And I think that was a part of the whole deal in him coming. I don’t blame any coordinator. When you go into a situation, to want to have the latitude to bring in a couple of your guys. It just makes sense.”

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