Tennessee loses assistant coach to top group of 5 school

December has been relentless for Tennessee’s coaching staff. Heupel seems like he's been through an entire offseason in a matter of weeks. He has juggled assembling an elite recruiting class, landing a program-altering hire in Jim Knowles, re-recruiting his own roster, and preparing for the Music City Bowl

Based on a recent report, Heupel has even more on his plate. Tennessee has taken an unfortunate hit to its coaching staff ahead of its bowl game against Illinois. The Vols assistant offensive line coach Phil Serchia has decided to take a promotion with James Madison as the tight ends coach, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

Phil Serchia is off to James Madison

It’s never ideal to lose a staffer, even a lower-level one like Serchia. The move does make sense for Serchia, as it gives him the opportunity to step into a full-time, on-field role at a program like James Madison. Since making the jump to the FBS, the Dukes have established themselves as the gold standard among Group of Five programs.

Serchia was only in Knoxville for one year, but he has done a tremendous job rising through the coaching ranks. He started his coaching career in 2009 as a graduate assistant at Colorado State and now has a full-time role at James Madison.

Defensive coordinator Tim Banks was the only coach to leave Tennessee earlier this offseason, but now the Vols are facing another departure. Typically, with the lower-level staffers, news can be scarce, but I'm sure we'll see an update on who Heupel decides to fill this role with. Glen Elarbee, the offensive line coach, will have a major say in this decision, I'd assume.

Staff turnover is never easy, but it’s also part of the game. Be on the lookout for the newest addition to Heupel's staff in the coming weeks.