Tennessee football is locking in its offensive future - and doing it with big-time dollars. Offensive coordinator Joey Halzle has signed a two-year extension that gives him a major raise, bumping his salary to $1.45 million annually through 2027. That makes him one of two seven-figure coordinators on Josh Heupel’s staff heading into the 2026 season, and it’s a clear sign the Vols are all-in on the offensive identity they’ve built under Heupel and Halzle.
Halzle’s rise has been steady and well-earned. He’s been with Heupel every step of the way - from Oklahoma to Utah State, Missouri, UCF, and now Tennessee - and he’s become a key architect of one of the SEC’s most explosive offenses.
In 2025, the Vols led the conference in scoring offense and ranked second in total offense. That’s no small feat in a league stacked with defensive talent.
What really turned heads this season was how Tennessee’s offense didn’t just stay afloat - it thrived - despite massive turnover. The Vols had to replace their SEC Offensive Player of the Year at running back, four starting offensive linemen, and an overhauled wide receiver corps.
Then, in the spring, came the shocker: franchise quarterback Nico Iamaleava and the program parted ways over an NIL contract dispute. Iamaleava had just led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff as a first-year starter.
Losing a guy like that could’ve cratered a season.
Instead, Halzle got to work - and the Vols reloaded.
Enter Joey Aguilar, a late addition who didn’t arrive until mid-May. All he did was lead the SEC in passing with 3,444 yards, throwing 24 touchdowns against 10 picks. The former Appalachian State standout brought poise and production in a hurry, and Halzle’s system gave him the freedom to shine.
Aguilar wasn’t alone. The wide receiver trio of Chris Brazzell II, Braylon Staley, and Mike Matthews turned into one of the most productive units in the conference.
Brazzell became the SEC’s only 1,000-yard receiver, while Staley and Matthews - both in their second year - ranked sixth and tied for seventh in the league in receiving. At running back, DeSean Bishop stepped into a starting role and ran for 983 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He’s just 17 yards away from giving Tennessee its third straight 1,000-yard rusher - something he’ll try to achieve in the Music City Bowl against Illinois on December 30.
Halzle’s ability to develop quarterbacks has become a defining trait of his tenure. He helped turn Hendon Hooker into the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and a high-end NFL Draft pick.
Joe Milton III followed with his own NFL journey. Now Aguilar joins the list of QBs who’ve posted 3,000+ yards of total offense under Halzle - the fourth to do so in just five seasons.
For context, Tennessee had only five such quarterbacks between 1950 and 2020.
And Halzle’s not just developing talent - he’s helping bring it in. His recruiting wins include highly rated signal-callers like Nico Iamaleava, Jake Merklinger, George MacIntyre, and Faizon Brandon, the No. 2 overall player in the 2026 class, who signed with Tennessee earlier this month.
This extension reflects more than just past success - it’s a bet on what’s next. Tennessee tweaked its playbook heading into this season, and the results speak for themselves: 40.8 points per game (first in the SEC, seventh nationally) and 482 yards per game (second in the SEC, fourth nationally) during an 8-4 campaign. That kind of production, especially after so much roster turnover, is why Halzle is now among the highest-paid assistants in the country.
The new deal also comes with restructured incentives. Halzle can earn percentages of a $500,000 bonus pool based on postseason success - from making a bowl game to reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals. His buyout is now set at 50% of the remaining salary on his contract, which runs through January 31, 2028.
And he’s not the only assistant getting a bump. Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope also signed a contract extension this week and picked up a coordinator title in the process. That follows a string of moves earlier in the year when Tennessee extended four assistants in February and another in May.
On the other side of the ball, the Vols made a major change last week, parting ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks after five seasons. His replacement?
Jim Knowles, the former play-caller at Oklahoma State, Ohio State, and Penn State. Knowles will make $2 million in 2026, with his salary set to rise in the following years.
But it’s the offensive side of the ball where Tennessee continues to build its identity. With Halzle locked in, a deep quarterback room, and a proven system that adapts and evolves, the Vols are making it clear: they’re not just chasing success - they’re building something sustainable.