KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The coaching staff shakeup has continued as Butch Jones announced that defensive backs coach Willie Martinez will not be returning after holding the position for the past four seasons.

“I have known Willie Martinez for a long time and have the utmost respect for him as a coach and a person,” Jones said. “I want to thank him for all his contributions to the Tennessee program over the past four seasons. Making changes on your staff is never easy, but we feel it’s necessary as we move forward as a program.”

Moving forward as a program includes Martinez’s replacement, Charlton Warren. Warren has been hired to replace Martinez and has agreed to a two-year contract with an annual salary of $450,000.

Warren played defensive back at Air Force from 1995-98 and then spent nine seasons coaching at Air Force, each working directly with the defensive backs. Warren earned a reputation as the Falcons’ top recruiter and coordinated their recruiting efforts for six seasons from 2006-2011.

Jones praised Warren for his “outstanding history” of developing defensive backs. The Vols dealt with numerous defensive injuries this season, including in their secondary, and finished 10th against the pass in the SEC — the worst in Jones’ tenure.

“He also has a great reputation as one of the top recruiters in the country with strong ties to our recruiting areas,” Jones said. “We feel extremely fortunate to add someone of his caliber to our coaching staff and our defensive meeting room.”

Warren coordinated Air Force’s defense through 2013 and then spent one season as Nebraska’s defensive backs coach in 2014. The time at Nebraska was short-lived after joining Larry Fedora’s North Carolina staff as defensive backs coach in 2015. Fedora was an offensive assistant coach during Warren’s final two seasons as a player for Air Force.

Warren instills what one would expect from someone that played at Air Force and later coached under Troy Calhoun at the Academy. Following Warren’s hiring at Tennessee, Calhoun issued his thoughts to Saturday Down South on what the Vols are getting as an assistant coach.

“Charlton is tremendous,” he said. “Terrific coach, great recruiter and superb representative. He’s a pure winner in every regard. He has very strong leadership qualities, quite bright, great teammate, was a very good player and just a top notch person.”

While at North Carolina, Warren helped guide a Tar Heel defense that finished 12th nationally in pass defense in 2016. The Tar Heels gave up 180.8 yards per game through-the-air last season and only allowed 11 passing touchdowns, the fourth-fewest in the NCAA.

In his first season in Chapel Hill, Warren helped resurrect a defense under first-year defensive coordinator Gene Chizik by allowing 14.5 fewer points from the previous season of 2014, the best improvement of any Power Five program that year. North Carolina also led the ACC in interceptions, turnovers forced and passes defense.

In the lone season Warren spent at Nebraska before heading to North Carolina, the Huskers ranked fifth nationally in pass efficiency defense and 32nd in passing yards allowed. Nebraska also ranked second nationally in completion percentage (48.5 pct.), 13th in yards per passing attempt (6.1) and 19th in touchdown passes (15).

Warren helped Air Force reach six bowl games in his nine years. In 2011, the Air Force pass defense ranked third in the NCAA in passing yards allowed (166.8 yards per game) and finished second in 2010 (147.8 yards per game). In 2009, Air Force finished seventh nationally in interceptions (20), finished first in the nation in turnover margin, fifth in passing yards allowed, 11th in total defense, and 17th in pass efficiency.

Charlton Warren Coaching Year-By-Year

2015-16: North Carolina Defensive Backs Coach
2014: Nebraska Secondary Coach
2012-13: Air Force Associate Head Coach/Defensive Coord./Secondary Coach
2008-11: Air Force Co-Defensive Coord./Secondary Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
2005-07: Air Force Secondary Coach/Recruiting Coordinator/Defensive Backs Coach