Tennessee’s coaching staff took a major blow with the abrupt exit of a newly hired CB coach this offseason. While the position coaching role looked uncertain, Josh Heupel finally locked in a new assistant to take his place within a week.

According to On3’s Austin Price, the Tennessee Volunteers hired Virginia Tech assistant Derek Jones as their new cornerbacks coach. Jones spent his last four seasons with the Hokies as defensive recruiting coordinator and CBs coach. However, he was not retained under new HC James Franklin’s staff.

Jones would be replacing Michael Hunter, who left for the Rams without coaching for a game on February 10, just five weeks after signing with Tennessee. The arrival in Tennessee marks a reunion with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, with whom he worked as a DBs coach at Duke from 2008 to 2017.

Their defensive combo helped the Blue Devils reach six bowl games, win the 2013 ACC Coastal Division title, and appear in the program’s first-ever ACC Championship game. They led Duke to their first bowl game since 1995 in 2012 and were a part of their first bowl win since 1961 in 2015.

He also served as assistant special teams coordinator and as associate head coach there before leaving for Texas Tech. He served as associate head coach, co-DC, and secondary coach for the Red Raiders for two seasons.

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Jones then joined Brent Pry’s staff at Virginia Tech in 2022 and made a significant impact on the recruitment and development of defensive stars. He deserves major credit for recruiting and developing Dorian Strong and Mansoor Delane, who became notable cornerbacks for the Hokies.

Strong earned two All-ACC honors and became a sixth-round NFL draft pick in 2025, while Delane earned the freshman All-American and All-ACC honors. He transferred to LSU and is entering the 2026 NFL Draft. With this, Jones would not only solve the Volunteers’ CB coaching needs but also help Josh Heupel with the defensive recruiting.

Previous hire Michael Hunter left for the Rams

Josh Heupel hired Michael Hunter as one of his four defensive coaches this offseason. The new DC, Jim Knowles, handpicked Hunter from Ohio State due to familiarity with his scheme. The deal got locked in, and Hunter signed the memorandum of understanding on January 02, accepting a $225,000 annual pay to become Tennessee’s CB coach.

Hunter’s signing looked promising, as he had prior work experience with Knowles at Ohio State, being part of the national title-winning side. He also worked for Knowles at Oklahoma State, serving as assistant defensive coach for one of his two seasons.

He spent five weeks with the Volunteers and accepted the Los Angeles Rams assistant DBs coach position on February 10. This marked his return to the NFL, where he spent four years as a player for six franchises, including the Giants, Jets, Broncos, Bills, Texans, and Chiefs.

His departure created a temporary uncertainty with Heupel and Knowles overseeing the CBs room. However, Derek Jones’s hiring would solve their defensive back needs. The details of his contract are unknown. However, his 25 years of coaching experience could highly benefit the Volunteers’ bounce back to the top.