There was an open door for Evan Crabtree to Tennessee, though it was a small opening.

Crabtree had few connections to the program when he arrived in Knoxville as an analyst three years ago. He and former Vols' offensive coordinator Alex Golesh were from the same town in Ohio, but had never crossed paths before coming to Tennessee. That was one outside connection.

TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM

The other was a member of the Miami (Ohio) staff where Crabtree was a long snapper and later served as a graduate assistant for two years, that had coached with Josh Heupel at Oklahoma.

"That was kind of my way in," Crabtree told reporters last week.

Crabtree, 29, is the latest analyst to be promoted to an on-field coaching role, joining a long line of them that have worked under Heupel at Tennessee for the last five years.

After special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler left to take the same position at Nebraska earlier this offseason, Crabtree, who worked alongside Ekeler as an analyst, filled the role in February.

"I think everything in this building is merit based," Crabtree said. "There are young guys, there are guys that are grinding every day on the staff. You see it on the team with our players. But Coach Heupel has created a culture where he allows guys to move up and guys to show what they can do.

"He puts a tremendous amount of trust in us and we got a tremendous amount of trust in him.”

Crabtree's path to heading up the Vols' special teams, has been a common one for a number of members of the coaching staff.

Wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope started at Tennessee as an offensive analyst in 2021. The next season he was promoted to his current role. Alec Ablen was another offensive analyst that was elevated to tight ends coach after Golesh took the head-coaching job at South Florida.

Levorn "Chop" Harbin was previously a defensive analyst that is now coaching outside linebackers, joining Crabtree in promotion this offseason after Ekeler's departure.

"I think it’s a credit to Heup (Josh Heupel) for giving trust to the guys, putting a vote of confidence," Abeln said. "I know I can speak for that really to a high level. But I also think it’s something that it’s not just, hey, you’re the next in line, so you’re the guy. Crab earned that every single day that he was here in his role before."

“I think I’ve been given every opportunity behind the scenes to show what I can do," Crabtree said. "I think I’ve been around great people in this building that have molded me to be the coach that Coach Heupel wants in this building. Work hard is something that everybody in this place does, but just try to take every day (as) it was my personal responsibility to make an impact, whether that be on special teams or with our team in any capacity.”

Crabtree and special teams is the perfect marriage, though. He was an offensive lineman early in his career, but after his growth slowed, he switched to long-snapping full time.

Crabtree played the position for the Redhawks for four seasons between 2016-19, getting a front row seat to how special teams operate in every phase.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Tennessee assistant coach Levorn Harbin explains 'Chop' nickname

"Special teams is a passion for me because it’s a team-based unit and you get everybody involved," Crabtree said. "I became a snapper and I just started learning those phases. And spending time here the last three seasons, that’s also where I’ve learned a ton within what we do, but also with what Coach Heupel expects from a culture standpoint and how we approach it every single day.”

Though this season will be Crabtree's first on the field, he has had one veteran coach to lean on the last three months.

John Bonamego, the former head coach at Central Michigan that spent years coaching special teams in the NFL, was hired by Tennessee in February as a special teams assistant, working under Crabtree.

The addition of Bonamego has made for a seemingly smooth transition for Crabtree and the rest of the the Vols' special teams unit, which returns its starting place kicker Max Gilbert, starting punter in Jackson Ross and dynamic returner Boo Carter--all strong foundational pieces for a first-year coach.

"(I) did not know him personally before he got here. However, I played against his team when he was the head coach at Central Michigan," Crabtree said. "So it’s a little bit funny. I still got to look back on his scouting report on me as a snapper and see what he said. But no, he’s fantastic. His wealth of knowledge, his experience, a sounding board, to have another guy in there that’s been been in the fire at a really high level, I think it’s important.

"And I think just having another guy in the room that just brings more experience and more ideas and things like that, it’s important to have just the strongest units that we can have.”

– TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM.

– ENJOY VOLREPORT WITH A PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION.

– SUBSCRIBE TO THE VOLREPORT YOUTUBE CHANNEL.

– FOLLOW VOLREPORT ON TWITTER: @TennesseeRivals, @ByNoahTaylor, @RyanTSylvia, @Dale_Dowden, @ShayneP_Media.