Tennessee nearing deal to hire final on-field assistant for Josh Heupel's staff

The Tennessee Volunteers are entering a new era under new head coach Josh Heupel, who has been working to finalize his on-field coaching staff recently.

On Monday night, the Vols reportedly found their final piece. Per Rivals.com, the Vols will hire Mike Ekeler from North Texas to run the special teams units:

BREAKING: Tennessee is finalizing the final piece to Josh Heupel’s first staff. @CoachEkelerUNT is set to lead Tennessee’s special teams and help on the defensive side of the ball. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️https://t.co/ZbnvqkeJlK

— Austin Price (@AustinPriceless) March 2, 2021

Ekeler has plenty of SEC experience, as he’s spent time with Georgia and LSU. He was a graduate assistant with the Tigers in 2007, when they won the national championship. He has also spent time at North Carolina, USC, Indiana and other places prior to his stint at North Texas.

The Vols have yet to officially announce the hire.