It’s been trending this way over the last couple of weeks, but now it appears like it’s inching towards becoming official. According to a report from Pete Nakos of On3, Tennessee is expected to keep defensive
line coach Rodney Garner. Garner’s contract was set to expire next month, and it was worth wondering if he would look elsewhere with new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles coming in.
Garner was rumored to Auburn following their hire of Alex Golesh, but Golesh quickly went in a different direction. Garner, who played at Auburn, coached on The Plains from 2013-2020 before joining Josh Heupel’s initial staff at Tennessee in 2021. That run is now expected to continue into a new defensive era in Knoxville.
Garner’s list of defensive line products is too long to list at each of his stops. At Tennessee, that includes names like Matthew Butler, Omarr Norman-Lott, James Pearce and Byron Young. In total, Garner is credited with producing over 35 draft picks during his length career.
The 36-year veteran SEC assistant will be 60 years old heading into next fall.
Garner is a key part of Tennessee’s recruiting efforts, building the defensive line from the ground up. His unit took a step backwards this season after losing quite a bit, but he came back strong with another big class in the 2026 cycle. 4-stars Carter Gooden, Zach Groves and Jordan Carter will all enter his room this spring, and he’s sure to add a body or two out of the portal to round out depth.
Jim Knowles is not with the team in Nashville, but instead is working in Knoxville and making decisions on his staff. We’ll know more about those decisions following the bowl game as Tennessee gets set to attack the transfer portal after.
