2 teams are reportedly looking to poach one of Josh Heupel’s top Tennessee coaches

On January 2, 2025By Littum

Aside from the poor showing against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff (hey, Oregon looked bad too!), the defense for the Tennessee football team was pretty electric this year. As everyone knows, defensive coordinator Tim Banks deserves great credit for that.

Banks has been a stud with Tennessee, but could his days in Knoxville be numbered? In recent days, it has been reported that Banks is a candidate to take over Miami’s defense for main man Mario Cristobal. However, a new report claims that Clemson is expected to offer Banks its DC job with Wes Goodwin on his way out. Will Josh Heupel end up losing one of his best assistants?

Source: Wes Goodwin will no longer be Clemson’s defensive coordinator. Tennessee DC Tim Banks front runner will be offered the job.

— Scott Hamilton (@ScottHamiltonPC) 2 January 2025

Tim Banks is reportedly a candidate for Clemson’s defensive coordinator job

You’d think Banks would want to stay with the Vols, especially after the team reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. But if Cristobal and Dabo Swinney put offers on the table, it will give him something to think about.

This is obviously something Heupel hopes will not happen. There’s already been enough turnover on his roster – losing a veteran, key coach like this right now would hurt. Everyone has been so focused on bringing back Mike Matthews that it’s easy to forget that the staff is looking too.

Again, the Tennessee defense was sharp in 2024, with plenty of playmakers stepping up in a massive way for Banks. Soon enough, we should know more about what the future holds for banks. Will he stay in Knoxville for one more season or pack his bags and head to either Clemson or Miami? The hope is that Heupel will keep him in 2025, but nothing is known for sure there with Banks.