Reports: Kodi Burns joining Tennessee as receivers coach

Slowly but surely, pieces of Josh Heupel’s initial staff at Tennessee are leaking out. Heupel has already brought tight ends coach and co-offensive coordinator Alex Golesh with him to Knoxville, along with quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee.

We can now add receivers coach Kodi Burns to that offensive group. The former Auburn player and assistant coach was hired by Heupel at UCF this year, and will now follow him to Tennessee.

John Brice at FootballScoop reports that Burns is now official.

Burns was a receiver at Auburn from 2007-2010. He started his coaching career with the Tigers as a graduate assistant, before moving on to Samford and then MTSU. In 2016, Burns went back to Auburn under Gus Malzahn as the receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator. In 2019 and 2020, Burns moved to the title of passing game coordinator.

Brice’s report also states that Tennessee could make official announcements on the staff as early as today.

Burns will inherit a really young group of receivers, although a talented bunch. Velus Jones Jr. is the lone senior returning to the equation. Ramel Keyton and Cedric Tillman are two more veterans, but neither has played a ton to this point. Jimmy Calloway, Malachi Wideman, Jalen Hyatt and Jimmy Holiday will each be going into their second year. Tennessee also signed receivers Walker Merrill and Julian Nixon in the class of 2021.