Despite not having the title of a position coach or coordinator, Earnest Thomas has been one of the key staff members on the defensive side of the ball for Tennessee football. However, according to a report from Adam Sparks of Knox News, he is not being retained by Josh Heupel and the Vols’ new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles.
Thomas spent a lot of time with the cornerbacks as an assistant secondary coach. He played a key role in the development of both Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood, who may end up being first-round selections in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
This comes after Heupel and Knowles moved on from secondary coach Willie Martinez on Thursday night, as well. He had served in the role under Heupel and fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks since this staff took over in Knoxville in 2021. Sparks’ report indicated that while Martinez’s contract was cut short, Thomas just won’t be retained and was not on a long-term deal.
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Heupel and Knowles have also already reportedly made the move to replace Martinez. Tennessee is expected to hire Michael Hunter, an assistant defensive backs coach at Ohio State, as the team’s new cornerbacks coach. He spent one season working with Knowles with the Buckeyes in 2024 when the pair won a national title that season.
Hunter was in this role at Ohio State for the past two seasons. Before that, he was the cornerbacks coach at Tulsa in 2023. From 2021-22, he served as an assistant defensive secondary coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma State.
Some of the other pieces of the staff under Knowles are also up in the air. While defensive line coach Rodney Garner is reportedly likely to stay in Knoxville, there have been no indications on the future of outside linebackers coach Levorn ‘Chop’ Harbin or linebackers coach William Inge.
