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Insider explains how under-the-radar coaching move led to a big change in Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks' job duties in 2025

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Jun 14, 2025 11:39 AM ET

VolQuest's Brent Hubbs said on Friday during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone's Ramon and Will that he doesn't think enough people are talking an under-the-radar coaching move that Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols made earlier this offseason.

Hubbs pointed to Tennessee's hiring of former NFL defensive coordinator Alan Williams in early March as a coaching move that’s already paying major dividends behind the scenes for the Volunteers.

Williams, who has over two decades of NFL coaching experience, is serving as a senior defensive analyst for Tennessee.

Hubbs noted that Williams is essentially coaching Tennessee's safeties, which has allowed Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks to spend more time as a "walk-around" coordinator.

"I don't think enough people talk about what they did in the back end with Alan Williams, who was, at one time, the coordinator for the Vikings and then a coordinator for the Bears," explained Hubbs. "He's coaching the safeties at Tennessee. And Tim Banks has been allowed to be a walk-around guy.

"Tim's never been a walk-around coordinator. He's always had a position group, and now he's a walk-around guy. You see him much more hands on and getting involved in defensive line drills or linebacker drills and safety drills. And he's seeing it from a bigger picture, as opposed to just the safety viewpoint in individual drills and things like that."

One of the reasons Nick Saban had such a successful run at Alabama is because of the way he utilized experienced coaches as analysts. Heupel is taking a similar approach with Tennessee's staff as he enters his fifth season on Rocky Top.

In addition to hiring Williams, Heupel and the Vols also hired former North Texas head coach and Oklahoma offensive coordinator Seth Littrell as an analyst this offseason (Littrell was teammates with Heupel at Oklahoma). Tennessee also hired John Bonamego, another coach with significant NFL experience, as a special teams assistant.

And then earlier this week, the Vols hired former NFL defensive line coach Marion Hobby, who played at Tennessee under Johnny Majors, as an assistant defensive line coach.

None of those moves are the type to dominate headlines, but they’re the kinds of moves that winning programs make.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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