Tennessee Hires Derek Jones as Cornerbacks Coach

Tennessee has hired Derek Jones, a 27-year coaching veteran, as its new cornerbacks coach, completing Josh Heupel's 2026 staff. Jones replaces Michael Hunter, who departed for the Los Angeles Rams shortly after joining Tennessee. Jones worked with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Duke and has extensive SEC experience, having played at Ole Miss in the mid-90s and coached at Texas Tech and Virginia Tech. 'Derek understands what it takes to play cornerback at this level,' Heupel said. 'He's coached and played SEC football and has a track record of developing cornerbacks for the NFL.' Tennessee has completely rebuilt its cornerback room this offseason, with several additions through the transfer portal.