After a standout season on the defensive side of the ball in Knoxville, Tim Banks is reportedly set to stay a Vol.
ESPN's Chris Low shares today that Banks and Tennessee are finalizing an extension for him to remain with the Vols as defensive coordinator.
Over the past few weeks Banks' name was linked to high profile defensive coordinator openings at Clemson and Miami, amongst others, but now appears set to return to Rocky Top with a new deal.
The Broyles Award finalist led a defense that ranked 7th nationally in scoring this past fall, holding 11 of their 13 opponents under 20 points while allowing just over 16 points per game on the year.
Banks joined Josh Heupel's staff in 2021 to call the defense, signing a three-year deal at that time.
After the 2021 season he was extended on year through the 2024 season and given a scheduled raise that took him from $1.4 million in 2022 to $1.5 million in 2023.
That annual salary put him behind fellow SEC defensive coordinators at LSU (Blake Baker - $2.5 million), Ole Miss (Pete Golding - $2.15 million), Georgia (Glenn Schumann (just over $2 million), Texas (Pete Kwiatkowski - $1.8 million), Kentucky (Brad White - $1.75 million), Alabama (Kane Wommack ($1.55 million).
The bad news for the rest of the SEC offensive coordinators is that Banks' defenses have steadily improved in each season since his arrival.
They ranked 57th in scoring his first season in 2021, then 36th in 2022, and 22nd in 2023 before their jump inside the top 10 this fall. If Banks and his staff can fill some key departures and find a way to continue that trend, the Vols again will find themselves back in the playoff picture come the end of the 2025 season.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.