New Tennessee Vols outside linebackers coach Levorn Harbin explains his 'Coach Chop' nickname

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel only had to replace one assistant coach this offseason. 

Outside linebackers coach/special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler, who spent the last four seasons at Tennessee, left UT to take over as the special teams coordinator for the Nebraska Cornhuskers earlier this offseason (Ekeler is from Nebraska). 

Heupel didn't have to look far for Ekeler's replacement, electing to promote senior defensive analyst Levorn Harbin, AKA Coach Chop, to outside linebackers coach. 

Harbin has been routinely praised over the last several years for the job he's done on the recruiting trail. It was long expected that he would receive a promotion once the Vols had an opening. 

On Friday, Harbin met with reporters at Tennessee for the first time since his promotion. 

Harbin was immediately asked about the "Coach Chop" nickname. 

"That came about when I was a coach, a GA (graduate assistant), at Auburn," explained Harbin. "(Former Auburn head coach) Tommy Tuberville gave me that nickname. So, that’s where it comes from."

“Everybody back then was close knit, everybody had a nickname," continued Harbin. "So, my name became Chop, short for Pork Chop. So there we go.”

Any nickname that sticks for nearly two decades is clearly a pretty good nickname.