Josh Heupel promotes Levorn 'Chop' Harbin to Tennessee football assistant coach

Josh Heupel promotes Levorn ‘Chop’ Harbin to Tennessee football assistant coach

Posted by author February 18, 2025 Football

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Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel has promoted senior defensive analyst Levorn Harbin to outside linebackers coach, replacing Mike Ekeler on his primary staff.

Heupel also promoted analyst Evan Crabtree to special teams coordinator and hired former Central Michigan head coach John Bonamego to assistant special teams coach.

Ekeler had served as UT’s special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach since 2021. But he returned to his home state to join the Nebraska Cornhuskers‘ staff.

Harbin, known around the Tennessee program as “Chop,” was a sensible choice as Ekeler’s replacement. He has been a valuable recruiter and assistant defensive line coach for the Vols since 2021, drawing interest from other programs eager to add a promising assistant.

Harbin was already one of the highest paid analysts in college football. He earned $325,000 in 2024, according to UT salaries obtained by Knox News via an open records request. His new salary is not yet available.

Levorn ‘Chop’ Harbin has been a key recruiter

Harbin has extensive experience on and off the field.

He was a defensive line coach at Valdosta State (2001-02), Tuskegee (2006-13), Louisiana-Lafayette (2015-17) and Miles College (2018-19). He was an NFL scout for the Atlanta Falcons (2004-05).

And Harbin worked with veteran UT defensive line coach Rodney Garner in two stints at Auburn as defensive recruiting coordinator (2013-15) and director of recruiting (2019-21). He has been Garner’s chief assistant, helping build the UT defensive line into one of the best in college football.

Harbin also has been an asset in recruiting.

The NCAA permits only 11 football staff members to go on the road for off-campus recruiting, which usually includes the head coach and 10 assistant coaches. But at different times, Harbin has filled in to do off-campus recruiting when an assistant coach had offseason surgery or was otherwise unavailable.

Harbin had been on the road recruiting for the past few weeks in Ekeler’s place. And over the years, UT recruits have credited Harbin as playing a key role in their decision to sign with the Vols.

Four Tennessee assistants were analysts under Josh Heupel

Harbin is the third UT analyst promoted to a full-time assistant position by Heupel, and there’s a fourth former analyst on his staff.

In 2022, Heupel promoted Kelsey Pope from offensive analyst to wide receivers coach. He replaced Kodi Burns, who became the wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints. Burns is now the USF co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach.

In 2023, Heupel promoted Alec Abeln from offensive analyst to tight ends coach. Abeln filled part of the role left by offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Alex Golesh, who became the USF head coach.

UT offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle also previously served as an analyst under Heupel. Halzle was an Oklahoma graduate assistant and then an analyst at Utah State, Missouri and UCF. He worked under Heupel at all four schools before being hired as a full-time assistant at UT.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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