KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee football has bolstered its 2026 defensive staff under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles with the addition of three new assistant coaches, head coach Josh Heupel announced Friday.
The new on-field hires include:
- Anthony Poindexter – co-defensive coordinator/secondary
- Andrew Jackson – LEOs
- Michael Hunter Jr. – cornerbacks
Last month, Tennessee announced the hiring of Knowles as defensive coordinator. In addition, defensive line coach Rodney Garner and linebackers coach William Inge will return to the staff for the 2026 season.
The 2026 defensive staff owns a combined 101 years of Power Four coaching experience with over 70 NFL Draft picks coached. All six have coached in either the College Football Playoff, New Year’s Six or BCS with a combined 38 game appearances. Since January 2024, five have coached in the College Football Playoff.
“We are excited about the experienced defensive staff we have assembled as we start the New Year,” Heupel said. “This group has a long, distinguished track record of outstanding recruiting, player development and coaching technique in either the Big Ten or SEC. They are already in our facility and working hard with Coach Knowles to help restore the standard of defense we expect to play at Tennessee. We would like to formally welcome Anthony, Andrew and Michael to Rocky Top.”
Anthony Poindexter
Poindexter, a Class of 2020 College Football Hall of Fame inductee and Super Bowl champion, brings an accomplished resume to Rocky Top, including the last five seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Penn State.
Poindexter coached in five College Football Playoff or New Year’s Six games during his Penn State tenure. Four of his safeties were selected in the NFL Draft, including three in the first three rounds.
Poindexter spent the 2025 season with Knowles in Happy Valley, and he served as the acting defensive coordinator in the Nittany Lions’ 22-10 win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. Poindexter’s group limited the Tigers to 236 total yards and only 3.6 yards per play.
Poindexter’s 2024 safeties unit contributed to a secondary and defense that ranked fourth in the FBS in interceptions (20), seventh in total defense (294.8), eighth in scoring defense (16.5), 10th in takeaways (26) and 13th in passes defended (72). That group sparked Penn State to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff with victories over SMU and Boise State.
In Poindexter’s third season, Penn State finished the 2023 campaign second in the country in total defense (247.6) and allowed just 172.1 passing yards per game, good for seventh in the nation.
A 23-year coaching veteran, Poindexter also coached at Virginia (2003-13), UConn (2014-16) and Purdue (2017-20). He has spent 12 seasons as either a defensive coordinator or co-defensive coordinator.
Poindexter’s players produced a combined nine All-Big Ten laurels – first, second or honorable mention – during his nine seasons coaching in the Big Ten.
Regarded as one of the fiercest hitters in the game during his collegiate career at Virginia from 1994-98, Poindexter was a two-time consensus first-team All-American as a safety (1997, ’98) and the 1998 ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in December 2020.
A seventh-round pick in the 1999 NFL Draft, Poindexter played for the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns during three seasons in the league. During the 2000 season, he played in 10 games for the Ravens on the way to their victory in Super Bowl XXXV.
Poindexter on Rocky Top:
“It’s a tremendous honor to rejoin Coach Knowles at a place that has as rich of a tradition as Tennessee. I want to thank Coach Heupel for this opportunity. Tennessee has a storied tradition of elite defensive backs starting with Eric Berry. I look forward to building relationships with our current players and future Vols as we build a championship culture in our secondary.”
Knowles on Poindexter:
“Dex is an expert on defensive back play and builds amazing relationships with his players.”
Andrew “AJ” Jackson
Jackson owns 13 years of defensive line coaching experience. He spent the 2025 campaign with Knowles as the assistant defensive line coach at Penn State. He was previously the defensive line coach at West Virginia for four seasons from 2021-24 where he was instrumental in developing one of the top units in the Big 12.
In 2023, Jackson’s defensive line spearheaded a group that ranked first in the Big 12 and 19th in Power Five in sacks (33). The defense produced 84 tackles for loss (6.5 per game), ranking second in the Big 12 and tied 14th among Power 5 schools. The defensive line was responsible for 16 sacks and 37 tackles for loss.
From 2021-22, Jackson mentored Dante Stills, who was invited to the 2023 NFL Combine and then selected in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Stills finished as the school’s all-time leader in games played (59) and tackles for loss (52.5), and he was fourth in sacks (23.5). He finished his career earning All-Big 12 Conference First Team honors twice (2021, ’22) under Jackson.
Jackson also coached the defensive line at Old Dominion (2020) and Fordham (2017). He was the defensive tackles coach at James Madison in 2019 when they led the FCS in total defense and ranked third in scoring defense. Jackson was a defensive analyst at Mississippi State in 2018 when the Bulldogs led the nation in total defense (263.1) and were ignited by future NFL defensive line stars Jeffery Simmons and Montez Sweat.
Prior to that, Jackson was a graduate assistant with the defensive line for two years at Penn State. Two players he worked with earned All-America status in Carl Nassib and consensus Anthony Zettel. Nassib was the Big Ten’s Bronko Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year and was the Hendricks Award and Lombardi Award winner. The 2016 Nittany Lions defeated No. 6 Wisconsin to win the Big Ten and advance to the Rose Bowl. Defensive tackle Austin Johnson was then selected in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans.
Jackson on Rocky Top:
“My family and I fired up to be on Rocky Top and back in the SEC. I want to thank Coach Knowles and Coach Heupel. I have great respect for what has been accomplished here, and we want to continue to help elevate this program. I can’t wait to get to work with our guys, as well as get out on the road and build relationships with coaches and recruits.”
Knowles on Jackson:
“AJ is a tremendous pass rush technician and does a great job teaching the game.”
Michael Hunter Jr.
Hunter comes to Tennessee after spending the past two seasons working with the cornerbacks at Ohio State where he coached in multiple College Football Playoffs. He previously served as the defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Tulsa in 2023. Prior to that, he was a defensive assistant at Oklahoma State from 2021-22, working with the secondary.
Hunter worked alongside Knowles during his first year with the Buckeyes and his two years at Oklahoma State. The two coached a 2024 Ohio State defense that allowed a nation-fewest 12.9 points per game and 18.8 points per playoff contest against four straight top 10 teams en route to the national championship. Cornerbacks Jordan Hancock and Denzel Burke were both selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
In 2025, Hunter was part of a unit that led the nation in scoring defense (9.3), total defense (219.1) and pass defense (129.7). The elite pass defense was nearly 25 yards better than the next closest Power Four program as the Buckeyes posted an undefeated regular season and another College Football Playoff berth.
In 2021, he helped coach a secondary that ranked second in the Big 12 in pass defense, allowing 210.2 yards per game. The Cowboys earned a berth to the 2022 Fiesta Bowl and defeated Notre Dame. Cornerback Christian Holmes was named second-team All-Big 12 and selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Hunter played cornerback at Indiana from 2011-14 and finished at Oklahoma State in 2015 before a four-year stint in the NFL. He was first signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2016.
Hunter on Rocky Top:
“I couldn’t be more excited about being here at Tennessee. Thanks to Coach Heupel and Coach Knowles for giving me this opportunity. I take great pride in building relationships with our players and helping them become the best they can be on and off the field.”
Knowles on Hunter:
“Michael invests deeply in his players and works tirelessly on their behalf.”
