THE OWINGS FILE

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Hometown: Saline, Michigan
Education: Mercer, 2016 (bachelor’s in sports management); Utah State, 2018 (master’s in physical and sport education)
Playing Experience: Eastern Michigan – WR (2012-13); Mercer – WR/TE (2014-15)
Wife: Riley

COACHING HISTORY

2016-18: Utah State, Graduate Assistant
2018: UCF, Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
2019-20: Texas Tech, Associate Director of Strength & Conditioning
2020-23: James Madison, Director of Strength & Conditioning
2024-26: Indiana, Director of Athletic Performance
2026-present: Tennessee, Director of Football Sports Performance

NATIONAL/CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS AS A COACH (5)

2025-26 CFP National Champions – Indiana
2025 Big Ten – Indiana
2021 CAA – James Madison
2020 CAA South Division – James Madison
2018 AAC – UCF

POSTSEASON APPEARANCES AS A COACH (12)

2025-26 CFP National Championship – Indiana
2025-26 CFP Semifinal Peach Bowl – Indiana
2025-26 CFP Quarterfinal Rose Bowl – Indiana
2024-25 CFP First Round – Indiana
2021 FCS Semifinals – James Madison
2021 FCS Quarterfinals – James Madison
2021 FCS Second Round – James Madison
2020 FCS Semifinals – James Madison
2020 FCS Quarterfinals – James Madison
2020 FCS First Round – James Madison
2019 CFP New Year’s Six Fiesta Bowl – UCF
2017 Arizona Bowl – Utah State

Derek Owings, who oversaw the strength and conditioning program during Indiana’s rise to the pinnacle of college football, was named Tennessee’s director of football sports performance on Jan. 20, 2026.

Owings spent the last six seasons working alongside head coach Curt Cignetti, including the last two at Indiana as the Hoosiers completed one of the most remarkable transformations in college football history. During his two years, IU compiled a 27-2 overall record, two College Football Playoff appearances, a Big Ten title and the school’s first national championship.

Owings, the 2025 Football Scoop Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, was on the sideline as the Hoosiers put the finishing touches on a perfect season, becoming the first FBS team to go 16-0 in the modern era. .

Owings’ holistic development of Indiana’s roster saw an unprecedented run of individual accolades in his two seasons, including a Heisman Trophy winner, 11 All-America honors, 23 All-Big Ten selections (first, second or third team) and four Big Ten individual award winners.

Owings was instrumental in the physical and mental development of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who arrived in the winter of 2025 and became the program’s first Heisman Trophy winner 12 months later. Mendoza was named Offensive MVP of the national championship game Monday night.

Mendoza was one of six first-team All-Americans for the Hoosiers in 2025, joining offensive tackle Carter Smith, linebacker Aiden Fisher, defensive back Louis Moore, defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker and defensive back D’Angelo Pounds. In addition, a school-record 17 players were recognized on either the coaches or media All-Big Ten teams.

Owings was a driving force in the Hoosiers’ undisputed identity – fast, physical and disciplined. Indiana ranked second in the nation in scoring defense (11.7 ppg) and third in scoring offense (41.6 ppg). IU was the least penalized team in the Power Four and second in the FBS in terms of yardage, committing only 27.6 per game. Its physicality in the trenches on both sides of the ball was on full display against elite competition.

Indiana issued only 77.2 yards per game rushing — good for second in the nation — and limited four ranked opponents to under 100 yards rushing, including No. 5 Oregon (81 and 93), No. 3 Ohio State (58) and No. 11 Alabama (23). The Buckeyes and Crimson Tide managed 2.23 and 1.35 yards per an attempt, respectively.

Owings trained a team that shutdown then-No. 1 Ohio State, 13-10, in the Big Ten title game, before reeling off three straight playoff victories en route to the national championship. IU blanked Miami in the first half of the championship game. The Hoosiers’ average margin of victory from the Rose Bowl, to the Peach Bowl and the national title game was 25 points.

In 2024, Owings arrived in Bloomington to train a team that had finished last in the Big Ten with a 3-9 overall record and a 1-8 conference mark a year prior. The transformation from worst to among the best in the nation saw Indiana post an 11-2 overall record, its first College Football Playoff appearance and a No. 10 final ranking.

Three of his pupils received All-America laurels in 2024. Fisher earned first-team All-America accolades, while Ponds and defensive lineman Mikail Kamara both earned second-team honors.

Prior to Indiana, Owings worked closely with Cignetti as the director of strength and conditioning at James Madison from 2020-23. The Dukes amassed a 38-7 combined overall record and a 23-4 mark in conference play in those four seasons he was present. Owings served a critical role in helping the Dukes make the physical transition from FCS to FBS.

The highlight came in 2023 as James Madison went 11-1 overall and 7-1 in conference play to win the Sun Belt East Division in its second year in the FBS. JMU clinched the school’s first bowl bid (Armed Forces Bowl), claimed its second of back-to-back division titles and spent time in the Top 25 for six consecutive weeks. A year prior on Oct. 9, 2022, the Dukes became the first first-year FBS program to be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

Owings helped five players claim player of the year awards during his tenure — Todd Centeio (2022, Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year); Jalen Green (2023, Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year); Mike Greene (2021, CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year); Cole Johnson (2021, CAA Offensive Player of the Year) and Jordan McCloud (2023, Sun Belt Player of the Year).

He helped developed defensive lineman Mike Greene reach finalist status for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the FCS National Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and quarterback Cole Johnson finish fourth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, presented to the FCS National Player of the Year in 2021.

During his entire tenure as a head strength and conditioning coach from James Madison to Indiana, Owings teams’ produced a stellar 65-9 overall record (.878) and a 40-5 record in conference play (.889).

Owings reunites with head coach Josh Heupel. In 2018, the two worked together at UCF in Heupel’s first season as head coach with Owings serving as assistant director of sports performance. The Golden Knights posted a 12-1 overall record and an 11-0 regular-season mark en route to capturing the American Conference championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl with Heupel.

Owings also spent two seasons at Texas Tech (2019-20) as the associate strength and conditioning coach. Before his time with Heupel at UCF, he was a graduate assistant for three seasons at Utah State (2016-18) and served as an intern at Mercer and Michigan, as well as at Barwis Methods in Plymouth, Michigan.

Owings was a wide receiver and tight end as a student-athlete at Mercer (2014-15), where he was an Academic All-SoCon selection. He began his career at Eastern Michigan (2012-13).

Owings earned his bachelor’s degree in sports management from Mercer in 2016 and his master’s in physical and sport education at Utah State in 2018.

Throughout Owings’ career he has assisted in return-to-play protocols for injured athletes and integrated methods to maximize movement efficiency, injury prevention and rapid recovery. He has also provided oversight of specialized team nutrition efforts.

Owings holds numerous certifications, which includes CSCS-NSCA, USAW-Level 1, Running Mechanics Professional Level 1 and 2, Metabolic Analytics Practitioner, FRCms, Precision Nutrition Level 1, Body Type Nutrition as well as CPR and AED - ARC.

Tennessee Head Coach Josh Heupel on Derek Owings …

“Physical and mental toughness is paramount in everything we do year-round as a program. No one understands this better at a championship level than Derek. He will elevate our strength and conditioning program with a relentless mindset and forge strong relationships with our players. He has a proven track record of utilizing modern training methods to maximize speed and strength, while specializing in injury prevention. He also understands what it takes to build an elite nutrition program to ensure our players are set up for on-field success and durability. We are thrilled to welcome Derek and his wife, Riley, to Rocky Top!”