Tennessee adds McKenzie Milton to staff

A natural fit.

The Tennessee football program added another mind to the coaching staff today, hiring former Josh Heupel quarterback McKenzie Milton as an offensive analyst. Tennessee officially announced the move this afternoon.

Heupel and Milton spent one season together at UCF, going 11-0 in the regular season with their only loss coming to LSU in the Peach Bowl. Milton was lost for the rest of the year after suffering a gruesome leg injury late in the season, and would end up never playing for UCF again. He finished off his college career at Florida State.

“McKenzie represents everything that is great about college football,” Heupel said via press release. “His perseverance, determination and leadership are attributes that made him successful as a player and will no doubt translate to him being an outstanding future coach. He’s always been a student of the game and understands the why behind what we do. We are thrilled to welcome McKenzie, Jany and Madden to Rocky Top.”

Milton finished up his playing career during the 2021 season, and is now set to start his coaching journey. He has experience playing for both Heupel and previous coach Scott Frost, putting up huge numbers in both systems. Milton knows the ins and outs of Heupel’s tempo-based attack, which certainly can be an asset and a teaching tool for the offensive staff.

“I couldn’t be more excited about starting my coaching career at Tennessee and reuniting with Coach Heupel,” Milton said in the release. “I am grateful to Coach Heupel and Director of Athletics Danny White for giving me this opportunity. Their leadership makes a difference. I look forward to helping the program in any way I can.”

Milton will now get a chance to coach under Heupel and assist first year offensive coordinator Joey Halzle. The former two-time AAC player of the year lands in a great spot, set to learn from Heupel’s success — and maybe even start his climb up the coaching ladder.