Tennessee receivers coach Zach Azzanni leaving Vols for NFL

The staff changeover continues for the University of Tennessee football program.

Wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni is leaving to take the same position in the NFL with the Chicago Bears.

Azzanni has spent the last four seasons at Tennessee. He was the recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach in 2013-14 before being promoted to passing game coordinator in 2015.

Azzanni is the sixth staff change at UT this offseason.

"We are really excited for Zach and his family," Tennessee head coach Butch Jones said in the release. "I have known Zach for a long time and this is a path he has wanted to pursue for some time. We can't thank him enough for his loyalty, dedication and hard work over the past four years to our football program. We will begin the process of filling this position immediately. It’s a position we want to fill as quickly as we can, but we also want to go through the detailed process, which we will."

UT's wide receiving corps finished with a productive 2016 season, led by Josh Malone and Jauan Jennings. The Vols finished with 3,100 receiving yards with Malone accounting for 972 yards and 11 touchdowns. Malone declared early for the NFL draft, but Jennings, Tyler Byrd and Josh Smith return with experience.

Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord left for Indiana and Larry Scott took his place. UT hired Brady Hoke to coach the defensive line, Charlton Warren to coach defensive backs and Mike Canales to coach quarterbacks. Walt Wells was promoted from offensive quality control assistant coach to offensive line coach.

Azzanni was thought to be in consideration for UT’s offensive coordinator opening that remained in house with the promotion of Scott.

Azzanni will replace Curtis Johnson on coach John Fox’s staff in Chicago. Johnson left to become receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints.