Tennessee DC Tim Banks finalizing new deal to remain Vols coordinator
Tennessee and defensive coordinator Tim Banks is finalizing a new deal to return for the 2025 season according to a report from ESPN’s Chris Low. Banks has had an offer from Tennessee for a couple of months that the school and Banks’ agent have been working through.
Banks, who coached this season on a contract that expires at the end of January, led Tennessee to their best year defensively since his arrival with Josh Heupel in 2021.
The Tennessee defense held opponent to under 20 points in 11 of 13 games in 2014. Vanderbilt scored 23 points but 7 of them came on a kickoff return for a touchdown.
Banks’ defenses have improved in every category each of the last four seasons. This past season, Banks’ defense played the fewest snaps they have the last four years. They gave up the fewest explosive plays (20 and 30 yard plays) under Banks. Also, opponents converted just 30% on third downs (53 for 175). The defense also gave up just 17 touchdowns in 37 red zone attempts. The best numbers during Banks’ tenure.
“I think a lot of it has to do with the back end, how high level those guys are playing at,” Banks said last month of the red zone success. “But yeah, we’ve obviously concentrated on it coming into the season. And just like anything, you love to see the fruits of your labor. And those guys work really hard at it. And it’s great to see those guys play well at it.”
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Banks’ defense improved through the loyalty of some key veterans, the development of high school players as well as key portal additions like Jermod McCoy and Omarr Norman-Lott.
“I told those guys in the locker room, when a lot of guys decided to leave here when we took this job, those guys stayed,” Banks said following the loss to Ohio State. “So I’ll forever be grateful for that. I love those guys. They gave us everything they had.
“Then the class that came right after them, we were still building, and those guys came to be a part of it. We’re going to miss those guys. It’s going to be very hard to replace the leadership that those guys gave us, but we feel really good about some of the young guys that we’ve brought in and some of the guys that show some promise early in the year. The standard will be the standard. We’re excited about the youth that we have. We’ll miss the leadership, but we’ve definitely got some guys that are going to pick it up.”
Banks made 1.5 million in 2024 in the final year of an original four year deal which was signed in August of 2022.
