University of Tennessee held it’s introductory press conference with AD Danny White to formally introduce the 27th all-time head football coach, Josh Heupel.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes spoke to the media after the Vols’ 56-53 home win over Mississippi State Tuesday night.
Tennessee guard Keon Johnson spoke to the media after the Vols’ 56-53 home win over Mississippi State Tuesday night.
Tennessee forward Olivier Nkamhoua spoke to the media after the Vols’ 56-53 home win over Mississippi State Tuesday night.
Tennessee forward Yves Pons spoke to the media after the Vols’ 56-53 home win over Mississippi State Tuesday night.
Tennessee hired a new football coach Wednesday morning – Josh Heupel from UCF.
Eric Cain and Josh Ward discuss the move moments after it was announced.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Josh Heupel, the former Oklahoma quarterback who led his team to the national title, and who as an assistant coach and head coach captured conference championships at Oklahoma and UCF, has been named Tennessee’s 27th head football coach, Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White announced on Wednesday.
Heupel will be formally introduced during a live-streamed press conference Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. ET on UTsports.com and SEC Network.
“We looked at a number of potential candidates,” White said. “Josh Heupel, who I had the privilege of working with for three years, is everything we were looking for: winning with integrity, a history of championships and the architect of explosive offenses. He is a players’ coach and the kind of person the student-athletes go the extra mile for. I saw that first-hand, and you can see it in his coaching record.”
With a pedigree of fast-paced and exciting teams, Heupel was named the 2018 First Year Coach of the Year by the Football Writers Association of America, and he was a finalist for the Associated Press National Coach of the Year Award, the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award that same season.
“I am thrilled to be coming to Tennessee,” Heupel said. “I understand that Volunteer fans are hungry for a return to the top that they so richly deserve, and it is my goal and commitment to bring a championship back to Rocky Top.”
An elite playcaller with a history of explosive offenses, Heupel was the architect of a unit that ranked in the FBS top 10 in points per game in each of his three seasons as UCF head coach—eighth in 2020 (42.2), fifth in 2019 (43.4) and sixth in 2018 (43.2). The Knights also ranked in the top five in the FBS in total offense per game in each of those three seasons—second in 2020 (568.1), second in 2019 (540.5) and fourth in 2018 (522.7).
“We brought Danny White in to hire a talented coach who can be here for a long time and build a championship program,” UT Knoxville Chancellor Donde Plowman said. “Coach Heupel has compiled an impressive record, and I think Vols fans can look forward to a bright and exciting future. We are delighted to welcome him and his family to Tennessee.”
Under Heupel’s watch, UCF was the only team in the country to rank among the top five in the country in total offense each of the last three years, and the Knights were the only program in the nation to average at least 522.7 yards of total offense in each of the last three seasons.
Heupel became head coach at UCF in 2018 and promptly became one of only three coaches in college football history to lead a team to an undefeated regular season in his first year with them. That season, his team posted a 12-1 overall record, earning the American Athletic Conference championship and a berth to the Fiesta Bowl.
The following year, his team compiled a 10-3 mark, earning a fourth consecutive bowl invitation. Overall, he posted a 28-8 record at UCF and a stellar 20-5 mark in conference play.
Heupel is no stranger to putting up big offensive numbers in the Southeastern Conference. Prior to his successful run at UCF, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Missouri from 2016-17.
In 2015, prior to Heupel’s arrival, Missouri ranked 124th in the nation in total offense (280.9). In 2016, the Tigers led the SEC and ranked 13th nationally, averaging 500.5 yards per game. In 2017, Mizzou ranked eighth in the nation in total offense, averaging 502.2 yards per game. The Tigers were also 14th in the nation in scoring at 37.5 points per game.
Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock shined under Heupel’s tutelage. Lock led the SEC in passing as a sophomore, throwing for 3,399 yards and 23 touchdowns. He followed that with an even stronger junior season in 2017, passing for 3,964 yards and a then-SEC record 44 touchdown tosses.
Prior to his time in Columbia, Heupel served as the assistant head coach and offensive coordinator at Utah State in 2015, and he was a member of Bob Stoops’ coaching staff at Oklahoma from 2006-14. During his time with the Sooners, he helped develop Heisman Trophy winners Sam Bradford and Jason White at Oklahoma.
As a player, he was a national champion as Oklahoma’s quarterback in 2000. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000 while leading the Sooners to a victory over Florida State in the 2001 Orange Bowl, sealing the national title for the OU. In 2001, Heupel was the Associated Press Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award winner, Archie Griffin Award winner and a consensus All-American.
During his two seasons as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma, Heupel posted a 20-5 record. He passed for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns. Overall, he still ranks among OU’s top three quarterbacks in passing yards, completions and touchdown passes, despite playing just two seasons.
An Aberdeen, South Dakota, native, Heupel earned his bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Oklahoma in 2001. He and his wife, Dawn, have two children—daughter Hannah and son Jace.
-UT Athletics
By: Eric Cain / @_Cainer
According to multiple reports, UCF coach Josh Heupel will be named the next head coach at Tennessee.
Jimmy Hyams reported early Wednesday morning a team meeting was scheduled for 8 am. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports later was the first to break the news, tweeting the expectation is for Heupel to be named Tennessee’s coach.
Volquest, who reported late Tuesday night that Heupel emerged as the top candidate, later followed – along with 247Sorts. Thamel is reporting the finalizing deal is for around $4 million annually.
Danny White ended up hiring his guy all along.
White, of course, is Tennessee’s new Athletics Director as the Vols poached him from Orlando last week. After a five-day coaching search that rumored disinterest in the job from the likes of James Franklin, PJ Fleck, Tony Elliot and more – White appears to be hiring Heupel who has a combined 28-8 record with the Knights.
Then former Oklahoma quarterback took over the UCF program in 2018 when Scott Frost went home to Nebraska. That season, the Knights went undefeated in the regular season and finished with a loss to LSU in the Fiesta Bowl.
In 2019, UCF finished 10-3 with a bowl win, but fell to 6-4 in 2020 with a loss in the Boca Raton Bowl.
During the three-year stint, Heupel’s offense finished top-six nationally, including second in the country in 2020. All three 2018 losses were by a combined seven points and three losses I year three were by a combined eight points.
Heupel had only one double-digit loss in three seasons.
As far as recruiting, the former Knights head coach finished 52nd, 59th and 60th in the country through three cycles. Heupel did coach Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford at Oklahoma and spent two seasons as an assistant at Missouri before heading to Orlando.
As a player, Heupel finished second in the 2000 Heisman Trophy race – behind current Vols quarterbacks coach, Chris Wienke.
By: Eric Cain / @_Cainer
Day 5 of the Tennessee football coaching search did not play out well on social media.
Tuesday night, Volquest reported the top emerging candidate to replace Jeremy Pruitt as Vols head coach is UCF’s Josh Heupel. The same UCF that Tennessee hired away Athletics Director Danny White from last week. The same coach White hired back in 2018 to replace Scott Frost who darted home to Nebraska.
I understand the frustration but it’s kind of funny to think about looking back five days ago.
White spent time addressing some negativity around the program during his introductory press conference last Friday. In summary, the new Volunteer boss said if fans are frustrated to text their friends and to stay off social media.
LOL at the time and LOL now on a Wednesday morning.
I’m sure White knew his comments on the matter wouldn’t make a difference – but he said all the right things. Nonetheless, when the latest report surfaced linking Heupel to the job, that was all out the window.
Disclaimer: A very small percentage of the Tennessee fan base is voiced on social media. BUT, the loudest portion certainly is. In no way am I grouping the entire fan base into the social media sector.
We had fans tagging Danny White calling for his job (after only five days) and fans tagging Heupel in demeaning tweets. Fans clamoring his record wasn’t good enough and he can’t recruit. And this dude hasn’t even been hired yet. No one has.
The world appeared to be ending right here on a Tuesday night.
I’ll say this. Heupel wouldn’t have been my first thought either – especially after it’s known White is utilizing the Parker Search Firm to help find the new coach. Why spend all this money to potentially end up with a guy you’ve already hired; a guy you don’t even have to vet?
Well, it’s probably where the program is right now – meaning, it probably wasn’t Danny White’s first thought either.
1. He went undefeated in his first regular season. If he lost one game his next year record was going to be worse.
2. Three 2nd-season losses were by a combined 7 points.
3. 3 regular season losses were by a combined 8 pts in yr 3.
4. 1 double-digit loss in 3 years. https://t.co/Tp4XzOlbzN
— Paul Fortenberry (@P_Fortenberry_) January 27, 2021
There’s been reports of multiple coaches passing on interviews or not showing interest after initial talks.
Coaches who have been linked to these reports include: James Franklin, Tony Elliot, Billy Napier, PJ Fleck and others. And can you blame them? As I wrote yesterday, why would a coach want to walk into this mess. A raise might not be worth it.
Let’s say it is Josh Heupel. IF Josh Heupel is the next head football coach at Tennessee, here is what you’re getting.
You’re getting a guy who has gone 28-8 in three seasons at UCF. He led an undefeated regular season in 2018, taking over for Frost, with another 10-win season in 2019. Heupel led a unit that finished second in total offense in 2020 and has ranked top-six nationally in the sector in three seasons as a head coach.
He’s coached a Heisman Trophy winner (Sam Bradford) as an assistant at Oklahoma and spent two seasons as an assistant at Missouri – so he has SEC experience.
He was also the Heisman runner-up in 2000 – bowing out to current Vols quarterbacks coach Chris Wienke.
A main concern for me, IF Heupel ends up getting the gig, is recruiting. I know it’s tough to recruit blue chip prospects to Group of Five programs, but Heupel hasn’t finished inside the top-50 in terms of team recruiting rankings while at UCF. His defenses have also been nothing to ride home about.
So, will it be Heupel? Is this a smokescreen? Time will tell and I think it will be soon.
Tennessee AD Danny White has called a football team meeting for 8 am, presumably to announce hiring of new head coach.
— Jimmy Hyams (@JimmyHyams) January 27, 2021
No hire will please everyone. And time will tell down the road if the next hire ends up being a good one. But one thing is for sure – Vol fans on social media will voice their opinions. And it will be some interesting reads to say the least.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A dominant defensive showing and an offensive effort that saw every Vol pen their name on the score sheet helped the 18th-ranked Tennessee basketball team battle past Mississippi State, 56-53, on Tuesday at Thompson-Boling Arena.
After uncharacteristically losing the turnover battle in each of their last two games, the Volunteers (11-3, 5-3 SEC) forced 18 (9-8, 4-5 SEC) turnovers, earning a +7 turnover margin on the night.
Senior Yves Pons led UT in scoring, dropping 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting with three ferocious dunks.
In 12 strong minutes off the bench, sophomore Olivier Nkamhoua scored five points, grabbed four rebounds and dished off an assist.
The freshman duo of Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer combined to score 17 points while delivering several key plays late to give Tennessee some winning momentum entering Saturday’s SEC/Big 12 Challenge showdown with 15th-ranked Kansas (6 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Springer—who missed UT’s last two games due to injury—scored nine points Tuesday and added a team-high five assists, four rebounds and one block in 25 minutes off the bench.
Johnson tallied eight points and was highly efficient on the defensive end, blocking a pair of shots and nabbing three steals.
Tennessee dominated the early stages of the first half, using an 8-0 run and a stifling defensive display that held Mississippi State to just one field goal through the opening eight minutes to gain a 15-4 advantage at the under-12 media timeout.
The Bulldogs fought their way back into the contest, eventually tying the score at 20-20 with just more than four minutes to play in the half.
Those final four first-half minutes were defined by defense, as the teams combined for just nine points, with the Orange & White taking a slim 26-23 lead into the break.
The second half was largely a back-and-forth affair, with the programs trading buckets and defensive stops, leading to a score knotted at 44-44 near the 6:00 mark.
Tennessee held Mississippi State to just nine points over those final six minutes and earned a number of timely buckets before two clutch free throws from Santiago Vescovi iced the game with 12 seconds left.
Up Next: The Vols return to action for the last of three consecutive home contests when they welcome #15 Kansas to Knoxville for a Saturday night clash in the SEC/Big12 Challenge. Tipoff from Thompson-Boling Arena is slated for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.
-UT Athletics
