When it was announced that the Tennessee Vols were going to be losing special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler to Nebraska, a lot of people were bummed. Ekeler did amazing work with his unit and he coached up his players with an incredible amount of passion.
Now, it looks like Josh Heupel hasn’t looked far for his replacement. On Tuesday, news broke that Evan Crabtree had been promoted to become the team’s new special teams coordinator. Crabtree was previously an analyst on staff. However, he’s set for the main job now and he couldn’t be more excited about things:
Blessed to be in this position! Chasing greatness every single day! #GBO 🍊 pic.twitter.com/5luNmhFlFl
— Evan Crabtree (@CoachCrab) February 18, 2025
New Tennessee special teams coach Evan Crabtree is fired up for this opportunity
According to reporter Adam Sparks, Crabtree is set to earn $225,000 per year on his new deal, with his contract running through the 2028 season. This will be a big chance for Crabtree to prove his worth to head man Josh Heupel and it’s a job he’s ready to excel at.
There’s no question that Crabtree has some giant shoes to fill, as Ekeler was beloved by the fanbase. Tennessee’s special teams were incredibly consistent too, which is something Crabtree needs to keep going in 2025 and beyond.
Last season, the Vols made program history by reaching the College Football Playoff for the first time. In order for that to happen once again in ’25, all three areas of the game must be on point. Heupel will have the offense rockin’, Tim Banks is back as defensive coordinator and now there’s some pressure on Crabtree to step up as well.
While Tennessee is losing plenty of elite talent, including EDGE James Pearce Jr. and running back Dylan Sampson, the pieces are in place for it to be another memorable campaign for the SEC powerhouse. Crabtree is thrilled to be a part of things and he wants Tennessee supporters everywhere to know that he won’t be taking this promotion for granted.
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