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Tim Banks opens up on Tennessee contract, other jobs, breaking mold of Josh Heupel teams
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- Tim Banks opens up on Tennessee contract, other jobs, breaking mold of Josh Heupel teams
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.
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"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.
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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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Banks knew his name had surfaced as a potential candidate for the defensive coordinator jobs at Miami, Clemson and Penn State following the 2024 season.
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He didn't confirm that any were serious landing spots, but he appreciated the recognition.
"I saw it as a compliment, and I saw it as a compliment to our players and our assistant coaches," Banks said. "It was humbling. But like I said, Tennessee is always the place I wanted to be. And I feel like we've still got some things to accomplish here, and we're headed in the right direction."
Banks reportedly was also a candidate for the Middle Tennessee State coaching job following the 2023 season. Former Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason eventually landed that job, but Banks said he wants to be head coach one day.
"I'm no different than a lot of people," Banks said. "I'm a competitor. I loved being an assistant coach, and I worked my tail off to become a coordinator. There's a natural progression in this profession to become a head coach. That's the ultimate goal for me."
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Banks' agent handled contract negotiations
UT recognized Banks' value and paid him accordingly.
He signed a contract that pays him $2.15 million annually and runs through the 2027 season, plus bonuses if UT plays in a bowl game or the College Football Playoff.
Banks' previous contract paid him $1.5 million annually. It was set to expire on Jan. 31, which meant he coached the 2024 season as a lame-duck coordinator. But Banks said he let his agent handle that.
"(Contract negotiations) are just part of the process," Banks said. "We pay people a lot of money to take care of those things. I was fortunate enough to have good representation to get that thing done."
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Banks' defense broke mold of Josh Heupel teams
Heupel's offenses have been among the highest-scoring and fastest-operating in college football over the past 15 years. That means his defenses could be strained by a higher score and time of possession, skewing the stats of otherwise solid units.
Banks knew about that potential challenge, but that didn't faze him. However, there was truth to the narrative.
Before the 2024 season, no defense alongside Heupel's offense ever ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense or total defense. Banks' unit accomplished both.
Here are the defensive rankings alongside a Heupel offense, either with Heupel as coordinator or head coach.
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2011 (Oklahoma): 31st scoring defense; 55th total defense
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2012 (Oklahoma): 50th scoring; 64th total
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2013 (Oklahoma): 22nd scoring; 20th total
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2014 (Oklahoma):55th scoring; 51st total
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2015 (Utah State):61st scoring; 17 total
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2016 (Missouri):89th scoring; 118th total
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2017 (Missouri): 93rd scoring; 83rd total
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2018 (UCF);36th scoring; 114th total
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2019 (UCF):41st scoring; 38th total
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2020 (UCF):92nd scoring; 29th total
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2021 (Tennessee):90th scoring; 99th total
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2022 (Tennessee):36th scoring; 92nd total
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2023 (Tennessee):22nd scoring; 33th total
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2024 (Tennessee):7th scoring; 6th total
Banks' defense allowed only 16.1 points per game in 2024, the lowest mark for UT since the 1998 team allowed 14.5 points per game en route to a national championship.
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Banks' 2024 unit allowed 293.2 yards per game. It also ranked in the top 10 in rushing defense, third-down defense, fourth-down defense and tackles-for-loss.
The Vols held opponents under 20 points in 10 games, including nine wins, en route to a College Football Playoff berth.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tim Banks: Tennessee defensive coordinator on contract, other jobs, Josh Heupel
