Josh Heupel is promoting veteran Tennessee defensive analyst Levorn Harbin, better known as “Coach Chop”, as the program’s new outside linebackers coach, Volquest’s Austin Price first reported and a source confirmed to RTI.
Harbin fills the role left open by Mike Ekeler who left Tennessee for Nebraska earlier this month. Ekeler spent the last four years as both the Vols’ special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach. Tennessee is promoting assistant special teams coach Evan Crabtree as its new special teams coordinator to fill the other half of Ekeler’s duties.
While Heupel is promoting from within to fill the two openings, the fifth-year head coach is going outside the facility to hire longtime NFL assistant coach John Bonamego as an assistant special teams coach.
“We are excited about the cohesiveness of our coaching staff,” Heupel stated in a press release on Tuesday. “Chop and Evan understand the culture and standard of excellence that we have built here over the past four years. Both have strong relationships with our players, and it will make for a seamless transition as we get ready for spring practice. Chop has been a valuable part of our recruiting efforts.
“We have taken great pride in our special teams units being among the best in the country since we arrived here. Evan has played a pivotal role in that success. John owns nearly two decades of coaching special teams at the highest level. As a former head coach, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge into our program.”
Harbin has served as a senior defensive analyst since Josh Heupel took over as head coach in the winter of 2021. In his role, Harbin has had an active role coaching Tennessee’s defensive line which will allow him to seamlessly fit in as the outside linebackers coach.
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Before his time at Tennessee, Harbin was an analyst at Auburn where Rodney Garner was defensive line coach. Harbin has worked closely with Garner since the two came to Knoxville from Auburn four years ago.
Despite being an “off the field coach”, Heupel has frequently sent Harbin out on the road as a recruiter over the last few years. Harbin is no stranger to recruiting which made him an obvious choice to coach Tennessee’s outside linebackers.
Heupel has frequently promoted from within during his time at Tennessee. Now in his fourth offseason at Tennessee, Heupel has had to replace seven assistant coach roles and five total coaches. He’s promoted from within five different times including Harbin, Crabtree, Joey Halzle, Kelsey Pope and Alec Abeln.
Hiring running backs coach De’Rail Sims (Cincinnati) and inside linebackers coach William Inge (Alabama via Washington) are the only two hires he has made outside of the facility.
