Tennessee defensive analyst Cory Robinson is expected to make a return to the NFL coaching ranks as the Jacksonville Jaguars’ next cornerbacks coach, Matt Zenitz reports. Robinson’s likely departure from the Volunteers program comes just one year after he arrived in Knoxville. He aided in the Vols’ defensive turnaround before again hitting the coaching carousel, overseeing an improvement that took Tennessee from 91st nationally to 32nd in total defense in the span of one year.
While analysts are prohibited from directly coaching players and conducting off-campus recruiting visits, Robinson assisted Tennessee’s defensive coaching staff with an emphasis on the defensive backs. The Vols ranked No. 64 in the FBS for passing defense — surrendering 221.5 yards per game — and saw seven defensive backs enter the transfer portal at the end of the 2023 season, including starters Doneiko Slaughter and Tamarion McDonald.
Robinson returned to the college football coaching ranks for his lone year at Tennessee after a three-year stint in the NFL. The former Central Connecticut State student-athlete began his coaching career at the high school level before ascending to a collegiate job in 2015. He spent time at Toledo, Temple, Rutgers and Maryland throughout his initial FBS stint.
Across those stops, Robinson’s greatest success came during the 2017 season at Temple, where he helped the Owls lead the American Athletic Conference in pass defense, allowing just 206.8 yards per game through the air. He served as a defensive backs coach at each of the four aforementioned schools and picked up the passing game coordinator tag at Rutgers and Maryland.
Robinson’s first NFL job came in 2020 when he landed on the New Orleans Saints staff as an assistant defensive backs coach. His 2021 unit finished fourth in the league in scoring defense, seventh in total defense and third in touchdown passes allowed.
Tennessee, meanwhile, could be poised for another solid year on the defensive side of the ball despite its transfer exodus. The Vols landed commitments from multiple instant-impact transfers, including former Oregon State cornerback Jermod McCoy and ex-Stanford defensive lineman Jaxson Moi.
The Vols’ 2024 success largely hinges, though, on second-year quarterback Nico Iamaleava and his ability to take the offense back to great heights. The former five-star recruit projects as one of the SEC’s best starting signal-callers in his first year atop the depth chart after posting a strong performance in the Citrus Bowl, completing 12-of-19 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown while rushing for three additional touchdowns against the vaunted Iowa defense.
