Tennessee has finalized extensions for two defensive assistant coaches before spring football begins on Monday morning.
Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez and defensive line coach Rodney Garner have both received a one-year extension to their current contracts, Rocky Top Insider learned through documents acquired by a Freedom of Information Act request. On3 Sports’ VolQuest was the first to report the news.
According to the documents, Martinez’s contract now runs through the 2024 season as a one-year extension. The Tennessee secondary coach was operating in the final year of his deal in 2023. Martinez’s extension does not come with a raise as the assistant coach will make a $540,000 salary in 2024. Martinez’s contract is now set to expire on Jan. 31, 2025.
Rodney Garner, on the other hand, is set to be in Knoxville for the next two seasons after also receiving a one-year extension this offseason. Garner was one of four assistant coaches who received a one-year contract extension through the 2024 season in February 2023 and is now set to be under contract through the 2025 season with the recent contract development.
Garner’s new deal, which runs through January 2026, also included a raise. The Tennessee defensive line coach is now set to make $900,000 over the next two seasons.
In terms of passing yards allowed, Martinez’s group took a step forward during the 2023 season. Tennessee ranked No. 124 in opponent passing yards per game (283.9 YPG) during his first season in 2021 and ranked No. 128 (287.3) during the 2022 season. With a crop of experienced players in 2023, though, Tennessee bumped up to No. 45 in the country with only 218.3 opponent passing yards per game.
Martinez is also responsible for the development of cornerback Kamal Hadden, who was an NFL Combine invitee earlier this month in Indianapolis.
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Garner has been a cornerstone piece in not only Tennessee’s development and production on the defensive line but also in the recruiting scene.
Tennessee has signed a handful of highly-touted linemen under the direction of Garner, including five-star EDGE rusher Jordan Ross, four-star DL Daevin Hobbs, and four-star DL Tyre West.
Tennessee’s contract extensions also come after an offseason in which the staff brought in two new assistant coaches from outside the program. After Brian Jean-Mary left for Michigan and Jerry Mack departed for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee brought in former Washington assistant William Inge to coach the linebackers and former Cincinnati assistant De’Rail Sims to coach the running backs.
Entering the fourth season in the Josh Heupel era, Tennessee is returning familiar faces and introducing new ones when they take the field on Monday, Mar. 18, for the start of spring practice. Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider throughout the month for more news, notes, and coverage from Tennessee football.
