Tennessee reportedly closing in on hiring CB coach away from Big Ten powerhouse
By Mark Kern
Published:
Tennessee under coach Josh Heupel figures to always have one of the better offenses in college football, as he is one of the best offensive minds in the sport. That was no different in 2025, as the Volunteers ranked 7th in the country in scoring with 39.8 points.
However, the issues for the team were on the defensive side of the ball, as the defense allowed 28.8 points which was the third most in the SEC. Major changes have already been made to the defense, as Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks on Dec. 8. They then made huge news when they brought in Jim Knowles in as the defensive coordinator, who is one of the best in the sport.
On Thursday, CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported that Tennessee is expected to hire Ohio State’s Michael Hunter to coach cornerbacks in Knoxville.
The move would make a ton of sense, as Hunter has worked with Knowles at both Oklahoma State and Ohio State.
In Tennessee’s four regular season losses, the Volunteers gave up at least 33 points in all of those games, while giving up 44 and 45 in losses to Georgia and Vanderbilt.
The timing is also big, as the transfer portal opens up on Friday. Tennessee is expected to be active in adding talent at cornerback and other positions as the Vols look to have a better season in 2026.
