emotional goodbye to Vols Nation as he departs for another opportunity but will never forget Vols as….. he says..

While there’s been plenty of positive news surrounding the Tennessee football team this offseason, a major blow recently came in for head man Josh Heupel and his staff. In case you missed it, special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler is leaving to join Matt Rhule’s staff at Nebraska.

Thanks to Ekeler, Tennessee’s special teams have been brilliant in recent seasons. This is a return home for Ekeler, as he’s a Nebraska native and he was on the Cornhuskers’ staff earlier in his career. Before making the move from Knoxville to Lincoln, though, Ekeler took to social media to send a heartwarming goodbye to fans everywhere. You can tell how hard this decision was for him:

Mike Ekeler posted a heartwarming goodbye to Tennessee fans everywhere

In addition to serving as the team’s special teams coordinator, Ekeler also led the way for the outside linebackers group. In the replies to his message to the fanbase, plenty of people are showing Ekeler a ton of love and rightfully so.

During his time with the Vols, he was known for being a great leader and coaching up his players with an incredible amount of passion. His energy is going to be missed on the team both on and off the field. This also leaves a big hole for Heupel’s staff.