KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee coach Josh Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks on Monday, a year after the assistant was a finalist for the Broyles Award.

“These are tough decisions but one I ultimately felt was necessary for the future of our program," Heupel said in a statement. "We are fully committed to identifying our next defensive coordinator who will uphold the standard that Tennessee has historically been known for.”

Banks had been with Heupel all five seasons at Tennessee after being hired in February 2021 as defensive coordinator away from Penn State. Heupel thanked Banks for helping restore Tennessee to national prominence.

With Banks, the Volunteers reached the 2024 College Football Playoff and ranked fourth nationally in scoring defense by holding opponents to 13.9 p

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