NFL-report: Josh Heupel announce to leave the Tennessee Volunteers Tommorrow” BIG PROBLEM ON GROUND”
Tipsheet: Tennessee takes fast lane to SEC prominence under Heupel
Josh Heupel generated some excitement during his time as Missouri’s offensive coordinator, but his fast-paced offensive scheme put him at loggerheads with defensive-minded head coach Barry Odom.
Then Heupel became free to do his thing as head coach at Central Florida, a successor to the unfortunate Scott Frost, before he took his Blur Ball offense to Tennessee.
And it’s working spectacularly well. After winning seven games and reaching the Music City Bowl with a patchwork team last season, Heupel has the reloaded Vols are rolling at 4-0 this season.
Heupel is killing it on the recruiting trail — with the help of massive Name, Image and Likeness support from generous Tennessee boosters – and he just scored a thrilling 38-33 victory over arch-rival Florida.
That was just the second time Tennessee defeated the Gators in 18 tries, dating back to the days when Florida coach Steve Spurrier routinely tormented Vols counterpart Phillip Fulmer.
People are also reading…
- 12 best men’s colognes of all time in 2024
- Ballwin police chief fired in unanimous vote by aldermen
- Cardinals exploring trade offers for Tyler O’Neill, other outfielders, says John Mozeliak
- 20 best men’s perfumes in 2024
ESPN’s College GameDay production was in Knoxville for the Florida game and the campus was on fire. A slew of top recruits were on hand to soak up the scene and CBS showcased the nationally-televised game for potential recruits watching at home.
“The game-day atmosphere, this is Rocky Top,” Heupel gushed after the game. “This is what it is. There have been some times where it hasn’t been that. The Vol Walk the way that it is, that stadium rocking the way it is, that is Rocky Top.
“For our recruits and for our players, it’s what we felt. This is one of the great stories in college football. That’s why that stadium looks the way that it does.”
Heupel has quarterback Hendon Hooker playing at an elite level and he has top quarterback recruit Nico Iamaleava lined up as the cornerstone of a Top 10 2023 recruiting class.
This is just Year 2 for Heupel’s regime, but the returns have been impressive. Long-suffering Tennessee fans are giddy after watching Lane Kiffin bail and then Derek Dooley, Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt fail.
“Really excited for our players,” Heupel said. “Just the growth they’ve shown the ability to compete no matter what the score was, no matter what was going on in the football game. Just resilient and fierce competitors, where we’ve grown in the time that I’ve been here, just really proud of our players.”
