Josh Heupel has made another hire to his new look defensive staff. Tennessee is hiring Penn State’s Anthony Poindexter as the program’s new safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator, Volquest’s Austin Price first reported Tuesday morning.
Poindexter comes to Tennessee after spending the previous five years as safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions. He was also a candidate to land the Louisville defensive coordinator job earlier this offseason.
The former Virginia standout will split secondary coaching responsibilities with Michael Hunter. Hunter, who spent the previous two years as the assistant secondary coach at Ohio State, will coach the cornerbacks while Poindexter coaches the safeties.
Josh Heupel parted ways with his previous secondary coaching duo earlier this offseason. Entering his sixth-year at Tennessee, Heupel fired defensive coordinator and safeties coach Tim Banks as well as secondary coach Willie Martinez.
Poindexter coached four NFL draft pick safeties during his time at Penn State including Kevin Winston Jr, Jaylen Reed, Ji’Ayir Brown and Jaquan Brisker.
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Prior to his five years at Penn State, Poindexter spent four years as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Purdue and three years in the same role at UConn. Poindexter spent the first 11 years of his coaching career in various roles at his alma mater Virginia.
Hiring Poindexter is a part of a defensive coaching overhaul this season on Heupel’s staff. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is bringing a number of coaches he has experience with to Knoxville with him including Harris, Poindexter and Andrew Jackson.
At the moment, it appears that defensive line coach Rodney Garner and inside linebackers coach William Inge are the only two on-field defensive assistant that Tennessee is retaining.
Tennessee’s safety play was a disaster a season ago and is one of its biggest needs in the transfer portal as it officially opens Tuesday. The Vols need to add multiple starting quality safeties in the transfer portal this offseason..
