Tennessee knows how valuable Tim Banks has been as defensive coordinator, and the Volunteers are closing in on an extension that would keep the 53-year-old running the defense in Knoxville, sources told ESPN’s Chris Low on Wednesday morning.
Banks was a finalist for the Broyles Award, which is given to the top assistant coach in the country. Tennessee had one of the best defenses in the country in 2024, holding 11 of its 13 opponents under 20 points. Banks’ stout defensive unit was one of the big reasons why the Volunteers earned a spot in the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff this past season.
Banks joined Josh Heupel and the Tennessee staff in 2021 and has been with the program ever since. He’s been a major factor in helping the Volunteers turn their defense around and become one of the nation’s best units season after season.
Before his arrival in Knoxville, Banks was the defensive coordinator at Illinois, where he coached from 2012-15. After leaving Illinois, Banks stayed in the Big Ten, becoming the co-DC and safeties coach at Penn State under DC Brent Pry, where he coached from 2016-20. After all those years in the Big Ten, Banks headed to the SEC in 2021 to coach the defense at Tennessee, and it’s been a big success story.
Tennessee is anxious to keep that success story going by locking up Banks for years to come.
