Tennessee might soon be in the market for a new offensive coordinator.

Tyson Helton is expected to be named the next head coach at Western Kentucky, according to multiple reports Monday.

WKU fired Mike Sanford on Sunday after he went 9-16 in two seasons.

GET TO KNOW TYSON HELTON:Tyson Helton is Tennessee Vols' chair-throwing, swamp-fishing offensive coordinator

It would be Helton's first head coaching position.

Helton being a candidate for WKU did not come as a surprise. He was the offensive coordinator there in 2014-15, working under then-coach Jeff Brohm.

In 2014, WKU's offense broke the school record by averaging 44.4 points. The next year, the Hilltoppers averaged 44.3.

WKU athletics director Todd Stewart was in his present role during Helton's stint with the Hilltoppers.

Helton left WKU to join his brother Clay's staff at Southern California. After two seasons as USC's quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator, first-year Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt tapped Helton to run UT's offense and coach quarterbacks.

Pruitt’s hire seemed like an uncharacteristic choice, and their season together appeared to be a bumpy ride.

Unlike most of Pruitt's assistants, Helton lacked ties to Pruitt or the SEC. Helton had worked at UAB with a member of Pruitt’s inner circle, Will Friend, whom Pruitt made his offensive line coach.

In Helton’s stint as WKU's offensive coordinator, he’d directed a pass-heavy offense, but it was evident that Pruitt favored a ground-based, methodical approach.

On Saturday night, Footballscoop.com, citing sources, reported that Pruitt intended to make an offensive coordinator change during the offseason. UT's football team spokesman said Sunday that the report was not true.

It didn't matter. Helton was pivoting.

Tennessee finished last in the SEC in total offense for the second straight season, but it improved its yards per game and yards per play output under Helton.

The offense had peak performances in upset victories over Auburn and Kentucky. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano thrived in those games and showed overall improvement throughout his sophomore season. But Guarantano was inconsistent. So was the offense.

Tennessee totaled 30 points in its final two games in back-to-back losses to Missouri and Vanderbilt, which ended UT’s season with a 5-7 record.

The Vols, for the second straight season, were plagued by the offensive line's woeful performance.

Tennessee ranked 13th in the SEC in scoring average (22.8 points per game) after placing last last season (19.8).

Veterans like Guarantano now will prepare to have their fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Helton replaced Larry Scott, who was UT’s offensive coordinator for one year as the replacement to Mike DeBord.

Helton is under contract at UT through the 2020 season. He earns $1.205 million annually.

Sanford's salary at WKU was $805,850, according to USA Today's salary database.

Under the terms of Helton's memorandum of understanding, he would owe UT a buyout of approximately $860,000 for leaving. But his MOU states that he could request that UT waive his buyout obligation. Helton's buyout for leaving would drop to $50,000 on March 1, 2019.