Tennessee special teams coordinator and outside linebacker coach Mike Ekeler is leaving the Volunteer program to serve as Nebraska’s special teams coach, Volquest’s Brent Hubbs first reported on Monday morning.
Ekeler was on Josh Heupel’s initial staff at Tennessee and spent each of the last four seasons serving in the same role. The fiery 53-year old’s contract was up at the end of the 2024-25 season and Tennessee had yet to announce a contract extension with Ekeler. Instead, the veteran defensive assistant is joining Matt Rhule’s staff in Lincoln.
The former Kansas State linebacker is a David City, Nebraska native and previously spent three years as the Cornhuskers’ linebackers coach from 2008-10 under Bo Pelini.
Ekeler has served stints at a number of major football programs including Indiana, USC, Georgia, North Carolina and Kansas as well as Nebraska and Tennessee.
The special teams coordinator became a fan favorite during his time at Tennessee. He was active on social media where he often posted about having his chili hot. He became friends with Tony Vitello and became a staunch supporter of Tennessee baseball.
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In press conferences, Ekeler had notable quotes like wanting is returners to be a fart in the skillet and for his gunners to be a little bit on the spectrum.
On the field, Tennessee’s special teams units were solid under Ekeler and particularly thrived early in his tenure. The Vols consistently had good returners starting with Velus Jones Jr and then Dee Williams.
Tennessee’s outside linebackers were consistently a point of strength though defensive line coach Rodney Garner also had a part in recruiting and coaching up that unit.
Ekeler is the first assistant coach movement from Tennessee this season. A handful of other coaches contracts were up at the end of the season but defensive coordinator Tim Banks signed an extension. Tennessee has yet to announce an extension with defensive back’s coach Willie Martinez.
Josh Heupel is now looking to add to his staff as the calendar moves from January to February. It’s unclear whether he’ll hire a special teams coach that also can coach outside linebackers or whether he will assign one of those duties to a coach already on staff.
It has been officially confirmed that Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, Bob Smith, will be leaving the Vols to take on the same position at the University of Nebraska. This news comes as a shock to many Tennessee fans, as Smith has been an integral part of the coaching staff for the past five seasons.
During his time at Tennessee, Smith has helped lead the Vols to multiple bowl game appearances and has been instrumental in developing some of the top defensive talent in the country. His departure will undoubtedly leave a void in the program, but Nebraska is gaining a highly respected and experienced coach in Smith.
Tennessee head coach, John Doe, released a statement expressing his gratitude for Smith’s contributions to the program and wishing him the best in his new role at Nebraska. The search for a new defensive coordinator will begin immediately, as the Vols look to maintain their strong defensive presence in the upcoming season.
Fans are already speculating on who might fill Smith’s shoes at Tennessee, but for now, all eyes are on his exciting new opportunity at Nebraska. Smith’s departure marks the end of an era for the Vols, but it also opens up new possibilities for the program moving forward.
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