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.
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.
Josh Heupel / Credit: Scott Clarke / ESPN Images
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.
Day 5 of the Tennessee football coaching search did not play out well on social media.
Tuesday night, Volquest reportedthe 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.
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.
Credit: UT Athletics
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.
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.
Did you see the CMT Presents: Next Women of Country Class of 2021 special?
Lauren Alaina, along with Caylee Hammack, and Rissi Palmer hosted the program that featured performances from Tenille Arts, Priscilla Block, Ashland Craft, Brittney Spencer, Sacha, Mackenzie Porter, Harper Grae, Reyna Roberts, Hannah Dasher, and Chapel Hart.
The show also features previous Next Women of Country class members like Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Cassadee Pope, Maggie Rose, Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton, and many others.
One of the original women of country music also appears in the special–Tanya Tucker.
The woman behind the Next Women of Country, Leslie Fram, also appears in the special to shared the story behind why the list was started, and how the members become part of a supportive community that is built with the mission for creating success for everyone involved. Leslie also admitted that even as the 2021 class was just announced they are already looking for the 2022 class members because she and the other people involved are continually searching for and are surround by so many talented female artists.
Check out the Next Women of Country Class of 2021 special right here…
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — No. 20/22 Tennessee (10-3, 4-1 SEC) continues its four-game home stand with a Thursday conference match-up vs. Ole Miss (7-5/1-5 SEC) at Thompson-Boling Arena.
UT, which is third in the league and stands as one of only three SEC teams with one loss or fewer in league play (along with South Carolina and Texas A&M), tips it off on The Summitt against the Rebels at 7:02 p.m. ET.
The Lady Vols come into the match-up after a strong showing last week vs. No. 3/5 UConn (L, 67-61) on Thursday night and a dominant victory over No. 12/12 Kentucky, 70-53, on Sunday.
Tennessee pushed its lead to as many as 26 points in the fourth quarter vs. the Wildcats before pulling its starters in a game where UT out-rebounded UK, 56-25, and held the visitors to 28.6 percent shooting. In the UConn game, there were 17 lead changes and 12 ties in a battle the Huskies led by two with only 26 seconds remaining. A three-pointer just prior to the shot clock expiring at that point was the difference-maker for UConn.
Ole Miss is much improved this season, adding transfers Shakira Austin (Maryland) and Donnetta Johnson (Georgia) and a heralded signing class led by Madison Scott. Incidentally, that trio stands as the Rebels’ top three scorers with all three putting up double-digit averages.
The Rebels are coming off a 10-point home loss to Florida (78-68) on Sunday and have lost five of six SEC games after opening the season 6-0. Proof of their improvement, however, comes in a four-point loss to a ranked Mississippi State team and an overtime setback to LSU.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Thursday’s game will be streamed live via SECN+ with Michael Wottreng (PxP) and Steve Hamer (analyst) on the call.
Institutions also can produce for SEC Network+ (SECN+) any conference and non-conference games that are not otherwise televised. Those are available on the ESPN app and SECSports.com.
All of the games included in the ESPN package (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU) and the SEC Network will be available through WatchESPN, accessible online at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app, and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 or Xbox One to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.
The contest also can be heard on Lady Vol Network radio stations and by audio stream, with Mickey Dearstone behind the microphone. Now calling the action for his 22nd season, Dearstone is joined by studio host Bobby Rader.
A link to the live audio stream can be found on each game’s Hoops Central page or the Lady Vol schedule on UTSports.com.
For a list of Lady Vol Network affiliates, please click on the Fans tab at the top of UTSports.com, select Vol Network and then click on Vol Network Affiliates in the black bar at the top of the page.
Air time for games on the Lady Vol Radio Network generally occurs 30 minutes prior to tip-off.
Single game tickets are on sale, starting at just $5. Go to AllVols.com to purchase.
QUICK GLANCE AT THE LADY VOLS
Tennessee has posted three victories over ranked teams (No. 13/13 Arkansas, No. 15/15 Indiana, No. 12/12 Kentucky), marking the most by the program in a season since 2017-18 when it had seven.
The Lady Vols have done so starting a freshman (Marta Suárez), two sophomores (Jordan Horston, Tamari Key), a junior (Rae Burrell) and senior (Rennia Davis). They have played together as a quintet for nine total games, with Key and Horston being inserted into the starting lineup for the contest at Indiana.
UT is led in scoring in all games by junior Rae Burrell (16.5 ppg.) and senior Rennia Davis (14.0 ppg.), with sophomore Tamari Key contributing 8.6 and classmate Jordan Horston chipping in 8.4.
In SEC play, three Tennessee players are scoring in double figures, including Davis (17.0 ppg.), Burrell (16.2) and Key (12.4). Horston is at 9.8 ppg.
Davis leads the team with a 9.2 rebound average for the season, but she has raised that to 10.8 rpg. in league play to average a double-double vs. SEC foes.
Senior Rennia Davis, who is on all of the preseason awards watch lists (Wade, Wooden, Naismith, Cheryl Miller), the Wooden Midseason List and a projected All-SEC First Team pick by the coaches and players, is averaging 17.8 ppg. and 13.8 ppg. vs. ranked teams in four games this season.
Davis has climbed to 17th on UT’s all-time scoring list with 1,582 points, surpassing Nikki McCray (18th, 1,572) and Debbie Groover (17th, 1,580). She is 15 back of Mercedes Russell (16th, 1,597) and 39 behind Dana Johnson (15th, 1,621).
On the all-time rebounding list, Davis stands in 17th place with 855. She is three behind Daedra Charles (16th, 858) and 29 behind Dana Johnson (15th, 884).
Sophomore Tamari Key has scored in double figures the past five contests (12/14/15/10/19). That career-best 19-point effort vs. Kentucky pushed her scoring average over the last five games to 14.0 ppg. along with 6.2 rpg. Both marks rank second on the team during that span. She also is hitting 70.5 percent from the field.
Tennessee has had four players finish a game scoring in double figures the past three contests, marking the first streak of that this season. They also accomplished that feat vs. Arkansas and in the season opener vs. Western Kentucky.
Sophomore Jordan Horston has dished out seven steals in two of her past three games. She leads Tennessee in all games (4.2 apg.) and is tied for fourth among league performers in SEC games with a 4.8 per game average.
Freshman guard/forward Marta Suárez, joining Burrell and Davis as UT’s only starters in every game this season, is second on the Lady Vols in rebound average (5.6) and is fifth in scoring at 6.4 ppg. after averaging 8.0 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. last week.
Reserve senior center Kasiyahna Kushkituah (6.2 ppg., 4.6 rpg.) and redshirt junior guard Jordan Walker (5.4 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 2.5 apg.) continue to be consistent contributors off the bench. Freshman Destiny Salary (2.7 ppg., 3.3 rpg., 1.3 apg.) also is supplying quality minutes at the guard position.
Tennessee drew an NCAA women’s basketball season high in attendance when 3,553 were on hand for the UConn game on Jan. 21. That total surpassed the max crowd that South Carolina is hosting this season due to COVID-19 safety measures.
RECAPPING UT’S LAST GAME
The No. 25 Lady Vols rolled to a commanding victory over No. 12 Kentucky on Sunday, winning 70-53 in Thompson-Boling Arena.
The win was UT’s third victory over a top-15 team this season, its highest number of wins over ranked opponents since the 2017-18 season.
Tennessee (10-3, 4-1 SEC) was led in scoring by sophomore Tamari Key, who posted a career-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Senior Rennia Davis turned in a double-double with 15 points and a career-high 20 rebounds. Junior Rae Burrell and senior Kasiyahna Kushkituah were also in double digits with 13 and 11, respectively.
Chasity Patterson was the high scorer for Kentucky (11-4, 4-3 SEC) with 15 points, and Rhyne Howard was close behind with 14, though UT’s stifling defense relegated the 2020 SEC Player of the Year to a 3-for-16 shooting day from the field.
RANKINGS TALK
Tennessee has climbed to a season-best NCAA NET Ranking of 13th through games of Jan. 25.
That rating is second highest in the SEC (South Carolina is No. 3).
Tennessee has climbed 15 spots since Jan. 4, when the first-ever ranking was released. The rating tool replaces the previous RPI formula that was used for helping determine NCAA Tournament invitations and seeding.
The Lady Vols have wins over NET No. 8 Indiana, No. 20 Kentucky, No. 24 Arkansas and No. 28 Alabama.
UT has three close losses, including to No. 1 UConn, No. 14 Georgia and No. 22 West Virginia.
UT will face top-60 NET foes in No. 3 South Carolina, No. 14 Georgia (in Athens), No. 16 Texas A&M (possibly twice), No. 20 Kentucky (in Lexington), No. 35 Mississippi State (in Starkville), No. 47 Missouri (in Columbia) and No. 58 Ole Miss in the coming weeks.
UT has ascended to season highs of No. 20 in the AP poll and No. 22 in the USA TODAY Coaches poll.
Interestingly enough, the Lady Vols still find themselves ranked below No. 15/14 Kentucky (11-4), No. 16/15 Indiana (9-3) and No. 19/18 Arkansas (11-5), teams Tennessee defeated, including Indiana on the road by eight and Kentucky and Arkansas by margins of 17 and 15.
The Lady Vols didn’t debut in either top 25 until the eighth polls (Jan. 11/12) had them at No. 23/24.
Tennessee was No. 25/RV last week (Jan. 18-19).
The Lady Vols also have risen to their highest position in Charlie Creme’s Bracketology, holding down a projected No. 4 seed in the 2021 NCAA Tournament as of Jan. 26.
UT is slotted in Region 4, with a first-round match-up vs. No. 13 UT Martin and a potential second-round encounter with No. 5 Gonzaga or No. 12 Bucknell.
NC State is the No. 1 seed in that region, with Stanford and Indiana (a team UT defeated) filling the two and three seeds.
ABOUT OLE MISS
The Rebels feature three players averaging double figures in scoring, including junior Shakira Austin (17.3), redshirt sophomore Donnetta Johnson (12.7) and freshman Madison Scott (11.3.).
Austin is a transfer from Maryland and is joined by former Terps assistant Shay Robinson in making the move to the Magnolia State for 2020-21.
Johnson is a transfer from Georgia, and Scott was the No. 13-ranked recruit in the U.S. by ESPN.
Ole Miss is led by Yolett McPhee-McCuin, who is in her third year in Oxford (23-50) and eighth season overall as a head coach (117-113).
Ole Miss started out 6-0 before losing five of its last six contests in SEC play to LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Georgia and Florida. The loss to #14 MSU was by four points. UM beat Auburn.
RECAPPING THE REBELS’ LAST GAME
Ole Miss entered the break in good position after a blistering second quarter, but a slow start in the back half proved to be the difference as Florida pulled ahead for a 78-68 win over the Rebels at The Pavilion on Sunday.
UM received four double-digit performances, led by senior Valerie Nesbitt with a team-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Nesbitt, in her third start of the year at point guard, also led with a career-high seven assists.
Other Rebels in double-digits included Madison Scott (14), Snudda Collins (11) and Shakira Austin (10).
Florida’s Kiara Smith (25 points) and Lavender Briggs (16 points) combined for 41 points on the day, 28 of which came in the second half and 20 of which came in a 25-12 third quarter for the Gators.
UT-OLE MISS SERIES NOTES
UT enters the 57th meeting in the series with a 48-8 edge, including a 22-2 record in games played in Knoxville, a 21-4 mark in Oxford and a 5-2 slate at neutral sites.
Tennessee has won 32 of the last 33 meetings with Ole Miss, with the only setback in that sequence coming in Oxford, 67-62, on Jan. 12, 2017.
The Lady Vols have won 19 straight over the Rebels in Knoxville, with the last Ole Miss victory (69-65) coming on Jan. 31, 1987, in Stokely Athletics Center.
The Big Orange, which have allowed Ole Miss to surpass 70 points only once since 1997, will face a Rebels squad that comes in averaging 75.1 ppg.
On Jan. 9, 2020, Tennessee held Ole Miss to 28 points, which tied for the third fewest UT has allowed in a game and the fewest by an SEC foe.
The Rebels scored only 14 points in the second half of that game, which was the sixth fewest ever tallied in the final 20 minutes by a UT opponent. Ole Miss’ two fourth-quarter points tied for second fewest ever in a quarter by a Big Orange foe.
Tennessee junior Rennia Davis has played very well against Ole Miss in four contests, averaging 16.8 points and 8.0 rebounds vs. the Rebels.
Tamari Key averaged 13.0 ppg. and 8.5 rpg. in two games vs. the Rebels as a freshman in 2019-20.
UT Head Coach Kellie Harper is 3-0 vs. Ole Miss as a head coach. Harper took Missouri State to Oxford on Nov. 19, 2015, and came away with a 91-78 victory over the (then) Matt Insell-coached Rebels. Her first UT unit claimed an 84-28 triumph in Oxford on Jan. 9, 2020, and a 77-66 win in Knoxville on Feb. 27, 2020.
Harper was 6-1 vs. Ole Miss during her playing days at Tennessee from 1995-99.
THE LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
The Lady Vols prevailed over an upset-minded Ole Miss team on Feb. 27, 2020, taking a 77-66 win on Senior Night at Thompson-Boling Arena.
Junior Rennia Davis was Tennessee’s (19-9, 9-6 SEC) high scorer, recording her 28th career double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Tamari Key and sophomore Rae Burrell were also in double figures, with Key scoring a career high of 17 points and Burrell finishing with 14 in the final regular-season home game of the 2019-20 campaign.
Ole Miss (7-21, 0-15 SEC) was led by Deja Cage and Mimi Reid, who posted 22 and 21 points, respectively.
WHAT’S NEXT
Tennessee closes out its four-game home stand on Sunday with a 2 p.m. ET matinee vs. Florida. The game will be televised by ESPNU.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, travels to LSU on Sunday for a 1 p.m. CT contest streamed by SECN+.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper took questions from the media on Tuesday afternoon in a Zoom interview session that covered the Lady Vols’ upcoming home games vs. Ole Miss (7-5/1-5 SEC) and Florida (9-6, 2-5 SEC).
UT (10-3, 4-1 SEC), which has ascended to season-high rankings of No. 20 in the AP poll and No. 22 in the USA TODAY Coaches poll, will play host to the Rebels at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday (SECN+) at Thompson-Boling Arena. The Lady Vols will then welcome the Gators to The Summitt on Sunday in a 2 p.m. contest slated for ESPNU.
On the next game against Ole Miss and the challenge of keeping her team focused on the scout for this week:
“I think one of the things that we have been able to do throughout the season is focus in on us and really try to get better as a team. In addition, we really try to keep our scouting reports very consistent, so our routine does not look different when we are playing UConn or when we are playing Ole Miss. I think that helps the mindset of our players so they understand that all games are equally important. In terms of Ole Miss and what they do well, first off, they play really hard. They have a lot of really unique and really good schemes, offensively. And I think that they have a couple of dynamic guards that are really doing a good job scoring. And then Shakira Austin is a talented player that poses some problems in her position. So, I have said before, if you think you just walk out and win, you don’t. That’s not how this works, and it is important that our players go out and understand that we need to play well.”
On what she feels is the biggest improvement of this year’s team compared to teams of the past:
“You know, for me, I think that it is probably the defensive end and the numbers where we have been more consistent. We have been more consistent with the rebounding numbers. We have trended up offensively, so those are all really good stats. In terms of finding one of those numbers that I am most proud of or most happy with is very hard, because I think they have all meant a lot. Probably the thing I am most proud of is not the numbers, but actually our mindset and our attitude and our growth of understanding what needs to happen. And (having) a little bit more maturity in understanding how we need to play and what it needs to look like for us to be a good basketball team and our ability to bounce back after losses. So to me, we have grown in so many areas, but sometimes the one that you cannot quantify has been the one that is the most important.”
On whether her team is starting to turn into the vision that she had when she accepted this job:
“Yes, I think that we (the coaches) have been able to see it prior to the wins, and now I think that everybody else gets to see it. We have been watching this happen. And sometimes growth is so small, and it does not come up in numbers, and it sometimes doesn’t come out with a win. But we are seeing that growth, and we have been seeing that. So, now I am so happy for our team more than anything. I am so happy for our team because they listened, and they bought in, and they really tried, and they have been rewarded with some really good wins. And that is so fun to see. It is very rewarding as a coach to see your team’s success when they buy in as mine has done. So, are we there yet? No, we are not. We have not gotten exactly where we want to go, but there is a lot of basketball left. I mean, there’s a lot of basketball left to play, and there’s still room for growth, and there’s room for ups and downs the rest of the way. But in terms of where we are from the start of the season to where we are now, I am so proud of them, and I am so happy for them.”
On Rennia Davis getting 20 rebounds against Kentucky:
“She was dialed in. I found out after the game, she had a buddy challenge her that she couldn’t get 15 rebounds. So, she was pretty locked in and when she does that, when she has specific goals, she’s pretty darn good. She has a really good ability to go get the ball and with her athleticism and her size, she has an advantage on the boards. I think the more mobile she is and the more we move her around offensively, the harder it is for defenses to keep her off the boards. So, I think it was just a really good combination. She was dialed in, and she was going to go get those boards. I’ll be honest with you, the team knew it. They were tracking it; they were really excited for her.”
On what it looks like to be a good basketball team:
“For us, I’m going to start with something basic, and that is getting the shot up. That means taking care of the basketball and getting a shot up. Offensively, when we are clicking, we are getting the ball inside to our post players, and we’re getting paint touches as well. We’re not settling. I think defensively when we are our best, we are just really locked in. Everyone is alert. I think sometimes it’s easier to be alert on the ball, and it’s easier to relax off the ball, but when we are at our best, everybody is really tuned in to the offense and what they are trying to do. Then for us, just cleaning up the boards on both ends.”
On Rennia Davis’ success despite being the main focus for opposing teams:
“Well, I think she’s so versatile and can do so many things. Some of the things that she does well are just really hard to guard. She makes a lot of plays off the ball, and a lot of that is her (being) savvy. When you have to account for Rae Burrell, Jordan Horston, and Tamari Key, you’re guarding so many people on the court. Rennia, who is away from the basketball, can get missed sometimes. I think that’s when she really plays well. She can really get out in transition and score. She’s doing a good job of taking care of the basketball. She’s very careful with it, she can pass to the post, she can do so many things. She really understands now she doesn’t have to be knocking down shots for her to have a really good game. That has just, honestly, taken her game to another level. Her average, I don’t think it is as much as it was last year, but I think she’s better. I think she can play through a poor shooting night and still have success. I am so proud of her for that.”
On how she sees the newcomers (freshmen) adapting this season:
“I think they have really settled in now. They’re feeling pretty good about what they need to do. Marta (Suárez), in particular, she’s letting the game come to her a little bit better now. Her plus-minus the past two games has been the highest on the team, so she’s making a lot of plays. Having her out there has helped our spacing a lot of the time. Destiny Salary, I was really excited about her play in the UConn game. I’m really proud of her. She plays hard. We’ve seen a lot of growth from her defensively, and we are really excited about her future. Tess Darby had some early injuries and did not get the playing time early. She’s practicing terrific, and sometimes you talk to the players that don’t get any minutes. We’re really excited about how she’s progressing in practice. It’s not leading to minutes now, but you never know what’s going to happen down the road.”
On the importance of the next two home games on our home court:
“My bags will stay packed in February, I think. I think these games are really important. It is an opportunity for us to show some maturity and come out and play, get better, and enjoy being at home. You don’t get these stretches that often where you’re at home for four in a row, so hopefully, our team will be locked in. I think we have to be to get wins, I really do. The SEC is so competitive this year; you look at the scores every single night and man, it’s just competitive. And if you take a night off, you’re not going to be in the winning column. I think that’s going to be the message to the team and to take advantage of the opportunity to be at home two more dates.”
On whether this week’s performance is the closest she’s gotten to where she spoke about taking this program when she was hired:
“So, I might be wrong on this, but I feel like our three best games that we have played all year were Alabama, UConn, and Kentucky – our last three games. And that’s exciting for me that we’re trending there now. I think a lot of that had to do with the defensive effort in those games, and a lot of that had to do with our focus and our mentality. Offensive execution and whatnot were pretty good in the majority of those games. We’re not perfect, but I do think, just thinking back, I do feel like we’re trending up the last three games, to be honest with you. So, it’s important that we don’t just kick our feet up and say, ‘Yay! Good job, we had three good games.’ No, that’s not what this is about. I do think the teams that are top-5 or top-10, they deal with this every night. People gunning for you because you are a top-5 team and whatnot. We get that a little bit because we wear orange, but I also think we’re getting it now because of how we’ve played. I think people are looking at us, and this team is playing well, so we have to really get up for them. So, I think it’s a little bit different for our team than it has been the last couple of years, but it will be a great opportunity for us.”
On whether she remembers speaking to the team about Kobe Bryant’s death this time a year ago:
“Some of us were actually talking about it a few minutes ago, and how it went down as well as how hard it was on our team to hear that. We had just won a big game and beaten LSU on the court, and the girls were so excited coming in to the locker room, and we literally could not enjoy the win. It was very difficult to hear that news, and it just didn’t seem real. It still doesn’t seem real and unfortunately, it’s just a reminder that our time is short, and there are no guarantees. It’s not about basketball; it’s about living your life every day, because you don’t know what tomorrow holds. You have no idea. You don’t want those reminders, but that’s what we tried to look at it as — it’s just a reminder to go out and be the best you can be and live and enjoy life, because it’s just too short.”
On what has been the key to their rebounding efficiency:
“Well, we finally have some habits and some positive habits. A shot goes up, and we actually look to box people out. We’re not great at it 100 percent of the time, but we are so much better. We keep people off the boards better than we have in the past. Offensively, I feel like we really bought into that being important, and our team understands that’s where we can really separate ourselves.”
On what point in her head coaching career she figured out what the team needed to do after a game in order to get a good performance the following game:
“Well, it’s been a unique challenge. Every team is different. Early on in my career, I had it pretty good. I was young, as I was a 26-year-old head coach, so I felt like I knew what the team needed, and as I got older and more removed from their age, I’ve had to lean on my assistants and learn and ask more questions. It’s something I spend more time with – doing different things to be able to know what the team needs. Sometimes you get it right, but sometimes you don’t. I think that is an important piece of what we do as coaches.”
Scotty McCreery is a country music making hit maker these days, but 10 years ago he was a flip-flop wearing teenager auditioning for American Idol.
Standing in front Season 10 judges, Steven Tyler, Jennifer Lopez, and Randy Jackson, Scotty wowed them with covers of songs by Josh Turner and Travis Tritt. The audition made J-Lo smile, got Randy to say “yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,” and Steven blurted out a compliment in an explicit phrase that surprised everyone in the room.
After receiving three “yes” votes, Scotty was off and running on the show that he would eventually win.
Looking back on it today Scotty shares, “Can’t believe its been a DECADE since my Idol audition aired!”
Little did he know on that day what his future had in store for him. Scotty says, “10 years ago started me on the most insane journey I could ever dream of. Thanks for being there with me every step of the way! Here’s to another 10 years yall! Much love”
While he’s climbing the country music airplay charts with his new song “You Time” — check out that American Idol audition that changed everything for Scotty McCreery.
Ten years later, check out the music video for Scotty’s new song “You Time”
Not only is her song “Somebody Like That” in the Top 20 on the country music airplay charts, it also just entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and Tenille was named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country for 2021.
On top of all of that, this past weekend Tenille walked away with three trophies at the Saskatchewan Music Awards.
The SMAs are intended to honor excellence and celebrate the achievements of the Saskatchewan music industry members over the past year.
At this year’s ceremony Tenille was awarded Single of the Year for “Somebody Like That,” Album of the Year for Love, Heartbreak & Everything In Between, and Country Artist of the Year.
You can see Tenille Arts accept the Album of the Year award right here…
Tenille’s Single of the Year speech is here…
And Tenille accepting the SMA for Country Artist of the Year can be seen here…
When Russell Dickerson’s sophomore album, Southern Symphony, arrived this past December in stores and online, fans could check out the music on the project in a cool new way with Southern Symphony – An Album Experience.
It’s an eight-minute video that features all 10 tracks on the album, with each having its own storyline weaving in and out of the lives of the guests at the Southern Symphony Motel.
Check it out here…
Now you can get a little insight on what went into the making of Southern Symphony – An Album Experience as Russell and the project’s director Spencer Combs share how the idea for the mini-movie came up, and some of the ins-and-outs of the production…including a very cold pool scene.
Check out the Behind the Scenes video part 1…
And you don’t have to wait long for Part 2…here it is now…
