Vols insider gives the latest on the possibility of Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks leaving for another job

Over the last few days, there have been some rumblings via various reports that Miami and Clemson could be interested in hiring Tennessee Vols defensive coordinator Tim Banks to the same position. 

Banks, who just completed his fourth season as the defensive coordinator at Tennessee, is not under contract with the Vols beyond the 2024 season. The veteran defensive coordinator reportedly has a new contract on his desk from Tennessee, but he's yet to sign it. 

VolQuest's Brent Hubbs joined 104.5 The Zone's Ramon, Kayla, and Will on Friday to discuss the latest happenings with Tennessee athletics and he was asked about the possibility of Banks leaving for either Clemson or Miami. 

Hubbs noted that he doesn't see Miami as a legitimate threat to swipe Banks from the Vols. As for Clemson, that's a situation that's still unfolding. 

"I don't think there's going to be anything that happens with Miami," said Hubbs. "I don't think Miami is a place that Tim Banks has much interest in. I guess you never say never, but it certainly doesn't feel like in talking to as many people as we could talk to, that there's anything of any significance going on with Miami. His name is being floated out there, but I don't think anything's going to happen there. Clemson's more interesting. We'll see. Clemson's in a little bit of a unique spot in that they're waiting to see if Coach (Wes) Goodwin, their defensive coordinator, takes the job at Oklahoma, as he's been rumored to be a top candidate there for Brent Venables. The two worked together at Clemson. If he goes to Oklahoma, it saves Clemson some money if he goes on his own. If he gets fired, then they've got to pay him his buyout money. And then there's a mitigated number in there that he would not get his full buyout if he took a job at Oklahoma or somewhere else. So this is a financial deal right now. They're waiting to see how everybody can get their money.

"Now, when that job officially becomes open, and I think it's absolutely going to be open, there's too many quality reporters reporting that it's going to happen for it not to be the case, in my opinion," continued Hubbs. "Then it gets interesting to see where Tim banks would be with that job, how much interest he would have in that job. And would he have any interest in it at all? How comfortable is he at Tennessee? I think he likes it at Tennessee. I think his wife likes it here in town. I think she's comfortable here. But he did not get a contract extension last offseason, and he coached this year on an expiring deal, and I think that was bothersome (for Banks) because of what he's done the last three years in building this defense. And statistically, they've gotten better each year and he was not extended in the offseason.

"I think that's something he's got to work through and figure out if he's comfortable with everybody here. [He has] a deal in place to sign, he's had it for a while. I think right now, he's looking at that, and I'm sure his agent's out there talking on the phone and we'll see what materializes with Clemson. I think Clemson is much more realistic than Miami in terms of being possibly interested in the job. I don't necessarily mean it's more realistic that he's leaving, but I don't think Miami is ever going to materialize into even an interview. I could certainly see Clemson potentially doing that."