Tennessee football is searching for a new defensive coordinator after firing Tim Banks Monday morning after five years running the Vols’ defense. Josh Heupel has a good deal of financial support at his disposal as he searches for the new leader of the Vols’ defense.
That allows Heupel to set his sights high as he searches for Tennessee’s new defensive coordinator. There’s already a report out linking Tennessee to Washington defensive coordinator Ryan Walters— the former Purdue head coach who worked with Heupel at Missouri.
But there’s another well respected defensive coach who is on the marker this offseason and has already coached at Tennessee. Former Vols’ defensive coordinator Justin Wilcox is back on the employment market after spending the last nine years as the Cal head coach.
Wilcox was Tennessee’s defensive coordinator in both 2010 and 2011 under head coach Derek Dooley. The Vols’ defense ranked 56th nationally in points per game in Wilcox’ first year as defensive coordinator before ranking 36th a year later.
While neither of Wilcox’ two defenses at Tennessee were elite, his value was shown in 2012 after he left to become the defensive coordinator at Washington. Dooley hired Sal Sunseri to replace Wilcox and Tennessee’s defense ranked 109th in points per game in 2012.
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Wilcox spent two years at Washington where his defense ranked in the top 40 both seasons. He followed Steve Sarkisian to USC and had two average defenses with the Trojans before the school terminated Sarkisian. Wilcox then went to Wisconsin where the Badgers defense ranked fourth nationally in points per game in 2016.
In nine years in Berkley, Wilcox’ Cal teams posted a 48-55 record while reaching bowl eligibility five times. It was a moderate surprise when Cal general manager Ron Rivera fired Wilcox.
For the first time in a decade, Wilcox is a coaching free agent. Cal owes him a buyout so he does not have to find a new job immediately and could instead take a year off coaching before returning next season. There’s also a question about if Wilcox would even want to coach in the SEC.
The 49-year old is a Eugene native who played his college football at Oregon. Wilcox’ has spent most of his career on the west coast with stops at Washington, Southern Cal and Cal. He’s spent just three seasons east of the Rocky Mountains— his two at Tennessee and one at Wisconsin.
Wilcox certainly is not the favorite to be Tennessee’s next defensive coordinator. And the moves seems unlikely, but it is a path the Vols could explore.
