KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Derek Jones, cornerbacks coach at Virginia Tech the past four years, will take over the same position at Tennessee.
Michael Hunter, Jr. had been in Knoxville for about a month, hired as cornerbacks coach by new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, until the Los Angeles Rams called on him to be their defensive coordinator. Hunter and Knowles had coached together at Ohio State.
When Hunter left, Knowles went back to a familiar face and made the call to Jones. Knowles had been defensive coordinator at Duke from 2010-17. Jones, now in his 27th year of coaching, was on Blue Devils the staff when Knowles arrived.
A Woodruff, S.C., native, Jones played at Ole Miss and started his coaching career there as a graduate assistant. Other stops included Memphis, Tulsa, Middle Tennessee, Murray State and Texas Tech.