Tennessee has announced its intention to strengthen its defense by hiring former Virginia Tech cornerbacks coach Derek Jones. The Ole Miss alumnus comes to Knoxville to replace Michael Hunter Jr., who left the Volunteers for the Los Angeles Rams as assistant defensive backs coach on Feb. 10.
Tennessee Bolsters Defense With Hire of Former Virginia Tech Cornerbacks Coach Derek Jones
The coaching change was first reported on Sunday by 247Sports national college football reporter Matt Zenitz. Jones will work with a familiar figure, Jim Knowles, who signed a three-year contract to be the Volunteers’ defensive coordinator last December.
Tennessee wanted Knowles to have a comfortable working environment in his first season, and replacing Hunter with Jones, who worked with him at Duke, could be a step in the right direction in Tennessee’s bid to contend for the national title next season.
Jones spent time with the Blue Devils, working under head coach David Cutcliffe. He held multiple positions in Durham, including defensive backs coach (2008-14 and 2018-19), cornerbacks coach (2015-17), assistant special teams coordinator (2008-17), and associate head coach (2018-19).
Knowles, meanwhile, was Duke’s safeties coach in 2010 before working as a defensive coordinator and linebackers coach from 2011 to 2017. Jones and Knowles helped the Blue Devils win the ACC Coastal Division in 2013, winning 10 games that season.
The coaching change came days after Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar attended a hearing on his petition for a preliminary injunction in Knox County Chancery Court. Aguilar seeks another year of playing Division I football by having the years he spent in junior college before his transfer to Appalachian State excluded from his eligibility.
MORE: National Analyst Sounds Alarm As Tennessee Chancellor Turns On Joey Aguilar
Tennessee aims to improve on its 8-5 record last season, as Josh Heupel’s team ranked No. 79 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Metric with a rating of 73.2. The Volunteers’ defense allowed 244.8 passing yards per game and a completion rate of 66.0% with 1.5 touchdowns per outing. They allowed 152.4 rushing yards and 1.8 TDs per game for an overall 397.2 yards allowed per contest.
Jones Guided Former All-Conference Honorees to Standout College Football Careers
Jones has coached Ross Cockrell and Mark Gilbert at Duke. Cockrell recorded 12 interceptions and 54 passes defended with the Blue Devils, earning two All-ACC honors. Gilbert, meanwhile, was a former All-ACC first-team selection under Jones.
After his time at Duke, he spent two seasons with Texas Tech as associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and secondary coach from 2020-21 before going to Virginia Tech as part of Brent Pry’s staff from 2022-25.
During his stint with the Red Raiders, he coached former NFL draft pick Dadrion Taylor-Demerson and All-Big 12 selections Damarcus Fields and Zech McPhearson. In Blacksburg, Jones helped develop Dorian Strong into a standout, recording seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups during his career at Virginia Tech.
He also recruited Mansoor Delane to Virginia Tech, coached him for three seasons and helped the team sign six of the top 25 in-state prospects during the 2023 recruiting cycle and five of the top 25 in Virginia in the 2024 class.
Tennessee hopes to rekindle the Knowles-Jones partnership next season, aiming to build on a relatively successful season and contend in the SEC and the College Football Playoff.
