Tennessee is on the verge of adding the final cornerstone to Josh Heupel's inaugural staff.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that the Volunteers are on the verge of tabbing Tim Banks as their defensive coordinator, with an agreement in principle and barring any last-minute snags.
Pete Thamel first reported that Tennessee on the verge of hiring away Banks from Penn State, where Banks has served as the Nittany Lions' co-defensive coordinator for James Franklin.
Sources confirmed to FootballScoop that the Vols and Banks “were in deep talks (Sunday) night.”
Banks became the focus for the Volunteers and Heupel late Sunday night, after Tennessee offered the position to Kansas City Chiefs linebackers coach Matt House. A former University of Kentucky defensive coordinator, House was offered a three-year deal with the Vols worth nearly $5 million, per sources, but was enticed to remain in the NFL.
The addition of a defensive coordinator has been the final primary piece for Heupel, hired on Rocky Top Jan. 27 to replace the fired Jeremy Pruitt.
Sources told FootballScoop that Banks is finalizing a three-year deal worth an average of more than $1.2 million per season. The deal, sources said, could be closer in the range of $1.5 million per year; it's the same general salary and term Tennessee discussed with its previous top candidates.
Banks' Penn State salary was not listed in the USA Today Assistant Coaches Salary Database, but Nittany Lions co-defensive coordinator Brent Pry earned $786,000 last season.
Heupel already had filled out most of his offensive staff prior to this past week, but the former Oklahoma Heisman Trophy runner-up who came to Tennessee after three years atop the Central Florida program had been through a more exhaustive process on the defensive side of the ball.
It's a journey that late this week led him to Banks, the Nittany Lions' co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the past five seasons. Banks also specializes in working with the secondary, having coached defensive backs at Memphis, Maryland, Cincinnati and Illinois prior to joining James Franklin at Penn State in 2016.
A former Butch Jones assistant, Banks spent five years on Jones' staffs at both Central Michigan and Cincinnati from 2007-11.
Banks, a Detroit native who played at Central Michigan, has 25 years' experience coaching at the collegiate level. He's been a coordinator or co-coordinator for 14 consecutive seasons.
At Tennessee, Banks' challenge is a large one. The Vols have seen multiple key players declare early for the NFL Draft, transfer out or place their names in the NCAA's Transfer Portal since they wrapped up a 3-7 season. The horrendous campaign, coupled with pervasive rules violations that number more than 50 per UT officials, resulted in Jeremy Pruitt's firing last month.
Tennessee also approached Louisville defensive coordinator Bryan Brown, University of Southern California's Todd Orlando, House, Tampa Bay Bucs assistant Kacy Rodgers, Ohio State's Al Washington and Wofford head coach Josh Conklin during the less-than-three-week process of finding Heupel's key defensive hire.