Tennessee finalizing deal with Mike Ekeler as final piece to Heupel’s staff

Tennessee is finalizing a deal to fill their their final coaching vacancy with the hiring of North Texas special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler sources tell Volquest on Monday night.

Ekeler has had many stops in his coaching career including a stops in the SEC. Ekeler was at Georgia in 2014-2015 serving as the linebackers coach under then Bulldog defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Prior to his time in Athens, Ekeler worked at Nebraska, Indiana and Southern Cal.

Ekeler worked at North Carolina in 2016 before joining Les Miles at Kansas. Ekeler actually got a coaching break as a graduate assistant at LSU in 2007 when the Tigers won the National Title.

He followed LSU DC Bo Pelini to Nebraska following his stint at LSU off the field. Ekeler and Heupel were graduate assistants together at Oklahoma in 2004.

Tennessee is yet to finalize the exit of Kevin Steele, who has remained with the program as Heupel built his inaugural staff.