Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope agrees to new contract, gets title

Tennessee wide receivers coach Kelsey Pope has agreed to a new two-year contract with the Vols and has been promoted to passing game coordinator. Pope made $550,000 this season and will make $800,000 in 2026, then $850,000 in 2027. The contract runs through January 31, 2028.

Pope, who elected to work this season on an expiring contract, saw his receiver group have its most productive year while Pope also had his best recruiting year. 

On the field, Chris Brazzell, Mike Matthews, and Braylon Staley became the first Tennessee trio to all have 700 or more receiving yards in the same season. Brazzell became the third receiver in the last five years to have over 1,000 yards receiving, joining Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt. 

“I think the potential was there,” Pope said of the trio. “I’d be lying if I saw the amount of production. I think it’s rare, and I think it’s really cool. I think the amount of production that they have and the success that they’ve had, I think that can create some complacency. It’s human nature, and I think what I’m trying to get those guys to always fight is that complacent thought, because we talk about in the receiver room all the time, that complacency is what will kill you.

“It stops your process. It stops your focus and your urgency, and I think that’s just been my message and kudos to those guys. They’ve been listening and buying in, and they’ve been sponges the entire year. It is rare. It’s cool, but there’s still more out there for us to go get.”

On the recruiting trail, Pope had his best recruiting haul in landing top-100 prospects in Tyreek King, a four-star from Knoxville, and Tristen Keys, a five-star from Mississippi. 

“That’s my dog,” Keys said of Pope. “Since day one when I first met him on my first trip to Knoxville, that’s been my guy. He has good energy. He’s young. He can relate not just about football, but about life man. He’s one of those coaches that is a people person. Great father, great husband, he’s a great person besides being a great coach and we know how he can coach.” 

Pope, who is an Alabama native, arrived at Tennessee as an offensively analyst. Pope was promoted to receivers coach when Kodi Burns left for the New Orleans Saints. Burns is now back at his alma mater of Auburn with Alex Golesh. Pope earned praise in the one on one work he did with Jalin Hyatt ahead of his breakout season and has garnered praise from his current receivers for his straight forward approach.