Tommy Thigpen Tommy Thigpen ( born March 17 , 1971 ) is an American college football coach and former player . He is currently the cornerbacks coach at the University of Tennessee , a position he assumed in December 2012 . Prior to that , he spent 14 years as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks , including a stint at Auburn University where he was part of the 2010 National Championship team . Thigpen played as a linebacker at the University of North Carolina and thereafter was drafted by the New York Giants of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He also played for the Barcelona Dragons of the World League of American Football ( WLAF ) . Playing career . Thigpen was born and raised in El Dorado , Arkansas . He played prep school football at Potomac High School in Dumfries , Virginia , where he was honored as a Parade All - American and Virginia Defensive Player of the Year . Thigpen was recruited to play college football at the University of North Carolina for head coach Mack Brown . Thigpen was a three - time All - ACC linebacker for the Tar Heels . He was co - captain of the 1992 team that went 9 – 3 and were Peach Bowl champions . Upon graduation , Thigpen played professionally for the New York Giants and Barcelona Dragons . Coaching career . Thigpen began his coaching career as a UNC graduate assistant in 1998 – 1999 under Carl Torbush . He received his first full - time position the following season coaching linebackers at Tennessee State . In 2001 – 2002 , he was hired by new head coach Urban Meyer as the cornerbacks coach and special team ' s coordinator at Bowling Green where he helped coach one of the Mid - American Conference ' s top defenses , leading the MAC in turnover margin in 2002 . BGSU also finished second in the MAC in pass efficiency defense , while Thigpen ' s special teams also were impressive , blocking seven punts and one field goal . When Meyer went to Utah in 2003 , Thigpen was hired by Ron Turner as the cornerbacks coach at the University of Illinois . He spent the following season as the linebackers coach for the Fighting Illini and was one of two assistants to keep their job when Turner was fired . Although new coach Ron Zook asked him to stay on the staff , Thigpen decided to take the same position at his alma - mater , North Carolina , for the 2005 season . In each of his four seasons at Chapel Hill he tutored UNC ' s leading tacklers , including Durell Mapp who came to Carolina as a walk - on and finished with the second most tackles in the ACC and now plays with the Green Bay Packers . Thigpen was selected by the Atlantic Coast Conference to attend the 2008 Minority Coaches Forum . On February 15 , 2009 , Gene Chizik announced Thigpen had been hired as the safeties coach at Auburn University . He will split responsibilities coaching the Tigers secondary with Phillip Lolley who was promoted to cornerbacks coach . After three season coaching the safeties , Thigpen took over as linebackers coach for the 2012 season . After Chizik was fired by Auburn following the 2012 season and Thigpen was not retained by new coach Gus Malzahn ( who had previously worked alongside Thigpen under Chizik ) , he was hired to coach cornerbacks at the University of Tennessee for new head coach Butch Jones . Thigpen was a coach for Auburn when they won the 2011 BCS National Championship Game . Thigpen was named one of the nation ' s top 25 recruiters in 2007 and 2009 by Rivals . com and in 2011 by 247Sports . com , ESPN and Rivals . com . He was also awarded the 2011 Scout . com / FOXSports . com SEC Conference Recruiter of the Year . Personal life . Thigpen graduated with a bachelor ' s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina in 1993 . He is married to the former Jacinda Webb and the couple has two daughters .