University of Tennessee Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Outside Linebackers
Levorn Harbin, one of the top recruiters in the Southeastern Conference, enters his fifth season at Tennessee and his first as outside linebackers coach in 2025.
THE HARBIN FILE
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Born: Nov. 4, 1975
Hometown: Butler, Alabama
Education: North Alabama, 1999 (Bachelor of Science)
Wife: Krislyn
Children: Kailyn, Kinsley
COACHING HISTORY
1998: North Alabama, Student Assistant
1999-2000: Auburn, Administrative Assistant
2001: Valdosta State, Defensive Line
2002-03: Georgia Southern, Outside Linebackers/Special Teams Coordinator
2004: Atlanta Falcons, Scouting Assistant
2006-12: Tuskegee, Defensive Line/Special Teams/Recruiting Coordinator
2013-14: Auburn, Defensive Analyst
2015-16: Louisiana, Defensive Line
2017: Louisiana, Defensive Tackles
2018: Miles College, Defensive Line/Assistant Head Coach
2019-20: Auburn, Director of Recruiting
2021: Tennessee, Defensive Analyst
2022-24: Tennessee, Senior Defensive Analyst
2025-present: Tennessee, Outside Linebackers
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (9)
2018 SIAC - Miles College (Defensive Coordinator/Assistant HC)
2013 SEC – Auburn (Defensive Analyst)
2012 SIAC - Tuskegee (Defensive Line/Special Teams)
2009 SIAC – Tuskegee (Defensive Line/Special Teams)
2008 SIAC – Tuskegee (Defensive Line/Special Teams)
2007 SIAC – Tuskegee (Defensive Line/Special Teams)
2002 Southern – Georgia Southern (Outside Linebackers/Special Teams)
2001 Gulf South – Valdosta State (Defensive Line)
1995 Division II National Champions – North Alabama (player)
POSTSEASON APPEARANCES AS A COACH (14)
2024 CFP First Round – Tennessee
2024 Citrus Bowl – Tennessee
2022 Orange Bowl – Tennessee
2021 Music City Bowl – Tennessee
2021 Citrus Bowl – Auburn
2020 Outback Bowl – Auburn
2016 New Orleans Bowl – Louisiana
2015 Outback Bowl – Auburn
2014 BCS National Championship Game – Auburn
2009 Pioneer Bowl – Tuskegee
2007 Pioneer Bowl – Tuskegee
2006 Pioneer Bowl – Tuskegee
2002 FCS Playoff Semifinals – Georgia Southern
2001 Citrus Bowl – Auburn
Harbin, nicknamed “Chop,” joined Josh Heupel’s staff in 2021 as a defensive analyst before being promoted to senior defensive analyst in 2022. Harbin served in the analyst role for four seasons and was promoted again in February 2025 to outside linebackers coach. He has been a fixture with the defensive line and LEO position, working alongside coach Rodney Garner during his Rocky Top tenure.
Harbin played a significant role in the development of the edge rushers during the Volunteers’ 2024 College Football Playoff season. The disruptive group paved the way for a Tennessee defense that ranked in the FBS top 10 in six different categories, including fourth-down conversion defense (third – 31.8), yards per play allowed (fifth – 4.56), third-down conversion defense (sixth – 30.3), total defense (sixth – 293.2), scoring defense (seventh – 16.1) and tackles for loss (eighth – 7.7).
The edge rushers made their presence known in meaningful victories over rivals Florida and Alabama as the Vols racked up a combined six sacks, 21 tackles for loss and three interceptions in those contests. Edge rushers James Pearce Jr. and Joshua Josephs led the team in tackles for loss with 13 and nine, respectively. Pearce Jr. also ranked 10th in the SEC in sacks with 7.5, while ranking second in the SEC and 12th in the FBS in total pressures with 55 according to Pro Football Focus.
Harbin’s protégé Pearce Jr. capped his three-year UT career with 19.5 sacks, which tied for the 10th most in school history. Harbin helped recruit Pearce from Chambers High School in Charlotte, and he developed him into one of the top edge rushers in college football. Pearce became the first Vol defensive lineman since College Football Hall of Famer John Henderson from 2000-01 to earn back-to-back first-team All-SEC accolades. In 2024, Pearce was also a semifinalist for the Bednarik and Lombardi Awards.
Harbin joined Pearce for his lifechanging moment when he was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Pearce became Tennessee’s 48th all-time first round draft choice and the highest drafted Vol defensive lineman since Derek Barnett went No. 14 overall in 2017.
In addition to a 2024 College Football Playoff appearance, Harbin’s analyst role tenure has seen the Volunteers win the 2022 Orange Bowl and 2024 Citrus Bowl. Tennessee has compiled 10-win regular seasons in two out of the last three years with a combined 65 victories since 2021.
Harbin came to Rocky Top after serving as the Director of Recruiting at Auburn for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. He previously spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Louisiana, coaching the defensive line from 2015-16 and the defensive tackles in 2017.
In his first season with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Harbin was instrumental in the development of All-Sun Belt Conference performer Chris Prater, plus returning letterwinners Taboris Lee, Mario Osborne and LaDarrius Kidd. Harbin’s second year with the Ragin’ Cajuns in 2016 produced redshirt freshman Joe Dillon, a USA Today Freshman All-American and the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year.
Prior to joining the staff at Louisiana, Harbin spent two seasons as a defensive line analyst at Auburn from 2013-14 where he worked with Garner. The Tigers captured the SEC crown and finished 12-2 after appearing in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game against Florida State. Auburn followed that up with an Outback Bowl appearance to cap the 2014 season.
Before his tenure at Auburn, Harbin spent seven seasons at Tuskegee University where he served as defensive line coach, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator from 2006-12. He helped the Golden Tigers to multiple conference championships with a 10-2 record in 2007 and a perfect 12-0 mark in 2008.
He coached two seasons at Georgia Southern, working as the defensive ends coach and special teams coordinator for the Eagles. Harbin was part of a GSU staff that claimed the 2002 Southern Conference championship after posting an 11-3 record before finishing 8-3 in 2003. The 2002 squad breezed its way through the first two rounds of the FCS playoffs en route to a semifinal appearance.
A native of Butler, Alabama, Harbin earned his first full-time coaching position in 2001 as defensive line coach at Valdosta State. Harbin was part of a Blazers’ staff that produced a 12-1 record and won the Gulf South Conference championship.
Harbin served one year (2004) as a pro personnel assistant with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, two seasons (1999-2000) as an administrative assistant at Auburn, and he was a student assistant at North Alabama where he worked with the team’s defensive line that was part of the No. 1-ranked defensive unit in the GSC in 1998.
A former offensive lineman at North Alabama, Harbin was a member of the Lions’ 1995 Division II national championship team. A three-year letterwinner for the Lions from 1995-97, Harbin was part of a team that produced a three-year record of 29-8 with a pair of Division II playoff appearances under head coach Bobby Wallace.
An all-area choice by the Mobile Register, Harbin played on both the offensive and defensive line at Choctaw County High School in Butler. Harbin began his collegiate career in 1994 at Morris Brown College in Atlanta before finishing at UNA.
