Eastern Kentucky announced this week it will hire former Tennessee and Kentucky assistant coach Walt Wells as its next head coach. Wells is the second straight ex-Volunteers coach hired to the next head coach at Eastern Kentucky.

“This is a place that is very close to my heart, and my wife Jennifer’s heart,” Wells said in a statement according to The Tennessean. “Our daughter was born here, and I look forward to bringing my son here, too. EKU has a proud tradition, and I look forward to continuing that tradition.”

This is Wells’ third stint at Eastern Kentucky. He served as an assistant coach from 1997-2002 and then returned to be the team’s offensive line coach in 2015. He was Kentucky’s quality control coach the last two seasons.

In between, Wells was a member of Tennessee’s coaching staff under Butch Jones from 2016-17. He was an offensive quality control assistant in 2016 and then the team’s offensive line coach in 2017.

Eastern Kentucky’s previous head coach, Mark Elder, was Tennessee’s special teams and tight ends coach under Butch Jones from 2013-15. Elder posted a 21-24 record and was fired from Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 25.