Memphis football names Jordon Hankins interim defensive coordinator for AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Memphis football linebackers coach Jordon Hankins will serve as the team's defensive coordinator for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Iowa State, the program announced Tuesday.
Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. Friday (ESPN) at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium.
Hankins fills the void created by the departure of Matt Barnes, who left Memphis this month to become an assistant coach at Mississippi State.
Hankins is in his third season on Tigers head coach Ryan Silverfield's staff. This won't be the first time he has worked as a defensive coordinator. He also held the same position at UT Martin (his alma mater) for three seasons. Between his time at UT Martin and Memphis, Hankins also spent one season on staff at Marshall.
The Tigers (9-3) are facing the Cyclones (7-5) in the Liberty Bowl for the second time. Memphis and Iowa State also met in Memphis in 2017. The Cyclones won, 21-20.
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Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis football names Jordon Hankins interim defensive coordinator