Terry Joseph, who coached the Tennessee defensive backs and also served as the Vols' recruiting coordinator the last two seasons, has taken a job on the Nebraska staff.

Joseph informed Tennessee coach Derek Dooley of his decision on Friday. Joseph had coached with Dooley at Louisiana Tech and came with him to Tennessee.

With Joseph leaving, that means the Vols will have an entirely new defensive staff next season. He's also the seventh assistant coach to leave Tennessee's staff since the end of the 2011 season.

Sal Sunseri is the Vols' new defensive coordinator after coming over from Alabama. Derrick Ansley, who was a graduate assistant at Alabama and worked with the Crimson Tide's secondary, was hired in February to coach the Vols' cornerbacks. John Palermo is the Vols' new defensive line coach after spending the last two seasons at Middle Tennessee. Palermo also coached on the Washington Redskins' staff and spent 15 years coaching at Wisconsin.

Dooley said last month that he felt the program had been energized by all the new coaching blood. The only two coaches remaining from his original staff are offensive coordinator Jim Chaney and receivers coach Darin Hinshaw, who's moving over to receivers after coaching the Vols' quarterbacks the past two seasons.