Josh Heupel has been a busy man the past few weeks. Signing day was at the beginning of the month, then he had to find a new defensive coordinator, all while in the middle of prepping for the Music City Bowl versus Illinois.
While juggling all these parts, it seems that Josh Heupel has also been negotiating with a couple of his top assistants about contract extensions.
On3's Chris Low is reporting that Tennessee has extended offensive coordinator Joey Halzle and wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope for two more seasons.
Tennessee has signed OC Joey Halzle and WR coach Kelsey Pope to new two-year deals. Pope is adding pass game coordinator to his duties. He received interest from several other SEC schools. Halzle will make $1.45 million annually and Pope $825,000 in 2026 and $850,000 in 2027.
— Chris Low (@clowfb) December 12, 2025
Joey Halzle and Kelsey Pope get 2-year extensions
This should come as no surprise to Vols fans, as both coaches have done a tremendous job supporting Josh Heupel's offense. With Halzle now making $1.45 million a year, he becomes one of the highest-paid offensive coordinators in the country.
Ever since Halzle has taken over the offense in Knoxville, they haven't skipped a beat. Last off-season, Halzle was put in a nearly impossible situation. Nico Iamaleava wanted more NIL money and decided to enter the transfer portal. Tennessee ended up getting Joey Aguilar from UCLA, and he led the SEC in passing yards this year. Halzle was a significant factor in this, and it shouldn't be discounted how great a job this was.
In 2025, Tennessee's offense ranked seventh in the nation, averaging 40.8 points per game. Plus, the Vols were 10th in the country in yards per game, averaging 461.1 yards per contest.
Wide receiver coach Kelsey Pope also gets a much-deserved salary boost. Pope had two stars in his position group in 2025. Chris Brazell II led the SEC in receiving yards and was one of the best wide receivers in the nation. True freshman Braylon Staley just won SEC Freshman of the Year, the first Tennessee football player to do so since Peyton Manning.
In three seasons as the wide receivers coach for Tennessee, Pope has already had three draft picks. Jaylin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman were both third-rounders in 2023, and Dont'e Thornton was a fourth-rounder last spring. Pope will add to this list in the 2026 Draft, as Chris Brazell II is projected to be a second-rounder. There is no question he's one of the best wide receiver coaches in the country.
Josh Heupel locking up two of his best assistants for two more years is an excellent sign for Tennessee. Plus, with the addition of Jim Knowles on defense, this staff looks like it's gonna be a real issue for opponents in 2026. A revenge tour is coming.