Tennessee didn’t waste any time filling a key vacancy on its defensive staff. After Michael Hunter Jr. made a quick exit to the NFL just over a month into his tenure in Knoxville, head coach Josh Heupel and new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles turned to a familiar face: Derek Jones.
Jones, most recently the cornerbacks coach and defensive recruiting coordinator at Virginia Tech, is expected to join the Vols’ staff, according to reports. And this isn’t just a plug-and-play hire - it’s a reunion years in the making.
Jones and Knowles go way back. The two worked side by side at Duke for nearly a decade, with Knowles running the defense and Jones coaching the secondary.
That kind of continuity and trust matters, especially when you're trying to stabilize a position group that’s seen some turnover. For Tennessee, this move brings in a coach who not only knows the system but also understands how to develop talent within it.
Jones spent the last four seasons at Virginia Tech, where he built a reputation as both a technician in the secondary and a force on the recruiting trail. Serving as the defensive recruiting coordinator in addition to coaching corners, he played a key role in shaping the Hokies’ defensive identity during a transitional period for the program. His availability this offseason came after Virginia Tech made a major coaching change, replacing Brent Pry with James Franklin.
Before his stint in Blacksburg, Jones held multiple titles at Texas Tech - associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and secondary coach - during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. But it was at Duke where he really carved out his coaching identity.
From 2008 to 2019, Jones was a staple on the Blue Devils’ staff. He started as a defensive backs coach and assistant special teams coordinator, eventually moving into a lead role with the cornerbacks.
When Knowles left the program in 2017, Jones stayed on and was elevated to associate head coach.
Jones brings more than just experience - he brings nearly three decades of coaching knowledge, with stops at Memphis, Tulsa, Middle Tennessee State, and Murray State before his long run at Duke. A former Ole Miss defensive back himself, Jones got his coaching start as a graduate assistant with the Rebels, and he’s been climbing the ladder ever since.
For Tennessee, this hire checks a lot of boxes. You get a coach who knows the SEC footprint, has a strong background in player development, and can recruit. But perhaps most importantly, you get someone who speaks the same defensive language as Knowles - a coach who can hit the ground running with spring ball just around the corner.
Jones, a native of Woodruff, South Carolina, is entering his 27th year in coaching. And now, he’s back alongside a familiar colleague, ready to help reshape Tennessee’s secondary.