Josh Heupel has fired Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks after a disappointing 2025 season on that side of the ball, a source with direct knowledge of the decision told Knox News.
The source requested anonymity because Tennessee has not officially announced Banks’ departure.
It comes only a year after Banks was a Broyles Award finalist and signed a contract extension that paid him $2.15 million annually through the 2027 season. But his defense struggled to support UT’s explosive offense, which was among the highest scoring in college football.
It’s an eye-opening move from Heupel, who had never fired an assistant coach in eight seasons as a head coach. His previous staff changes mostly featured assistants leaving for better jobs.
Banks had been Heupel’s only defensive coordinator during his UT tenure, which began in 2021. There were ups and downs, and the past two seasons featured both extremes.
In 2024, Banks guided the stingiest Vols defense since the 1998 national title team, allowing only 16.1 points per game. That was pivotal in UT reaching the College Football Playoff that season. And, statistically, the 2024 Vols had the best defensive season alongside a Heupel offense ever. That includes Heupel’s seven seasons as an offensive coordinator and eight seasons as a head coach, spanning five schools.
But things took a downward turn in 2025. Tennessee allowed at least 30 points in seven of eight SEC games. It ranked 92nd nationally in scoring defense (28.8 ppg) and 116th in pass defense (248.8 ypg).
Notably, the secondary was weakened by injuries and inconsistency. All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy suffered a torn ACL in January, and he missed the 2025 season. Starting cornerback Rickey Gibson suffered an upper-body injury in Week 1 and missed the remainder of the season. Nickelback Boo Carter, a preseason All-SEC selection, was dismissed from the team in November.
But the Vols also struggled with poor tackling, miscommunication and third-down breakdowns.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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