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Tim Banks heard that being a defensive coordinator alongside a Josh Heupel offense was a mistake when he took the Tennessee job in 2021.
Four years later, he feels vindicated as a finalist for Broyles Award, given to the top assistant coach in college football.
“When I took the job, I knew that was one of the things that people said — and that I shouldn’t take the job because of that,” Banks told Knox News from the Broyles Award ceremony in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on Thursday.
“But I believe in me. I believed in the coaching staff that we were going to put together. And I believed that given the opportunity to get the right kids and the time to develop them, that we had the style that would give us the best opportunity to win. And we’ve done that.”
Tim Banks glad to put Tennessee contract behind him
Banks guided the stingiest Vols defense since the 1998 national title team, and it was pivotal in UT reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024.
Statistically, the 2024 Vols had the best defensive season alongside a Heupel offense ever. That includes Heupel’s seven seasons as an offensive coordinator and seven seasons as a head coach, spanning five schools.
That success connected Banks to numerous marquee defensive coordinator openings in January, and then it landed him a lucrative three-year contract at UT. He’s elated by the result of a whirlwind offseason.
“I wanted to be here at the University of Tennessee,” Banks said. “My wife loves the area, and it’s a great place to live. I think we’re doing something special here, and I wanted to be a part of it. So being able to get (the contract signing) behind us and understand where we’ll be, that’s obviously something we wanted to get done.”
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tim-banks-opens-tennessee-contract-193904788.html
Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel
Publish date : 2025-02-13 19:39:00
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