University of Tennessee Athletics
Football
Heupel, Josh
Josh Heupel
- Title:
- Head Coach
updated summer 2025
Former national champion quarterback Josh Heupel took the reins of Tennessee football in 2021 and has guided the proud program to a national resurgence, including the Volunteers’ first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. The 2022 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year and two-time National Coach of the Year finalist was officially announced as Tennessee’s 27th head football coach on Jan. 27, 2021, by Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, who he worked alongside at UCF.
On Aug. 26, 2025, White announced a contract extension for Heupel through January 2030.
Heupel owns a stellar 67-24 overall record (.736) and a 40-18 (.690) conference mark in now his eighth season as an FBS head coach. His 67 victories since the start of the 2018 season ranks sixth nationally, and he is one of only three active FBS head coaches to lead multiple programs to New Year’s Six Bowl appearances in the College Football Playoff era. The son of a successful head coach, Heupel has studied the game his entire life and reached the pinnacle of the sport as both a player and assistant coach.
The 47-year-old has coached and played in multiple national championship games, won eight conference championships, made 20 postseason appearances, developed two Heisman Trophy winners and five top-five Heisman finishers. Five of his seven teams have been ranked in the final polls with three squads securing either a New Year’s Six or CFP berth.
The 2025 season is his eighth as a head coach and fifth in charge of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee Turnaround
Taking over a program coming off a 3-7 season and the departure of several players prior to his arrival, Heupel instilled a strong culture built on trust, accountability and relationships. The results have seen Tennessee celebrate its greatest chapter in over two decades.
In five seasons, Heupel’s remarkable revival of the Volunteers has seen him produce a 39-16 overall record, 11 victories over Top 25 teams, the school’s first New Year’s Six berth in the CFP era, three straight top-20 poll finishes and a College Football Playoff berth. The 11 ranked wins are sixth nationally among FBS head coaches during that span and are already fifth in UT history. Heupel’s .709 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last five decades. His 37 wins were the third-most through the first four full seasons by a UT coach, trailing only Bill Battle (39 from 1970-73) and Phillip Fulmer (38 from 1993-96). Both Battle and Fulmer took over UT teams that had winning records prior to their hires. Seven Vols have earned All-America honors in the Heupel era.
Heupel guided Tennessee to its winningest three-year stretch (30) since 1998-2000 (30), and the program’s .769 winning percentage during that stretch was the eighth-best nationally and third-best in the SEC. The Vols have also won at least nine games in three straight seasons, which is the longest streak for the program since 1995-99.
Heupel’s Vols have thrived against rivals and SEC competition. Tennessee has defeated Alabama and Florida in the same season twice over the past three years. It was the first time that feat occurred at UT since 2003-04. Heading into the 2025 campaign, Heupel is the only head coach in the nation with multiple victories against the Crimson Tide in the last seven seasons (2018-24). Meanwhile, Tennessee has won 16 SEC contests since the start of 2022, which was the program’s best three-year stretch run since winning 18 from 2002-04.
2024 Playoff Bound
In 2024, Tennessee won 10 regular season games for the second time in three years and punched its ticket to its first College Football Playoff berth. Heupel became the third coach in school history with multiple 10-win regular seasons, joining Fulmer (five times in 17 years) and Gen. Robert Neyland (five times in 21 years). Prior to Heupel’s arrival, Tennessee had not produced a 10-win regular season since 2003, and they have done it twice under his watch.
After being picked seventh by the media at SEC Media Days, the Vols finished 2024 tied for second in the SEC regular season standings with Georgia at 6-2 and 10-3 overall. Tennessee was one of only three SEC teams to reach the 2024 College Football Playoff. Two of the Vols’ three losses came on the road versus CFP teams, including eventual national champion Ohio State in the first round. Tennessee finished No. 7 in the CFP rankings, No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 8 in the Amway Coaches poll.
Spearheaded by a defense that ranked in the FBS top 10 in nine different categories, the Vols dominated NC State, gave Heupel a thrilling victory in his return to Oklahoma and celebrated epic wins again versus rivals Florida and then-No. 7 Alabama on the Third Saturday in October. Tennessee’s 2024 defense surrendered its fewest point per game average (16.1) since the 1998 national championship team issued 14.5 ppg.
Lifted by the spectacular play of 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson, the Vols led the SEC in rushing for the second straight year (225.8) and finished ninth nationally. Sampson shattered five single-season records with the most prolific individual rushing season in school history. He became the third different Vol in the Heupel era to earn SEC Player of the Year honors – offense, defense or special teams.
Sampson was one of three UT players to receive All-America status in 2024. Center Cooper Mays became the 79th player in school history to earn first-team laurels, and he was the first Rimington Trophy finalist in UT history. Cornerback Jermod McCoy, in his first season in Orange and White, was a second-team selection along with Sampson. Six players were named to the 2024 Coaches All-SEC teams, representing the program’s most since 2012. Sampson, Mays and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. were all first teamers. McCoy was a second-team honoree, and offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins and kickoff specialist Josh Turbyville were named to the third team.
2023
Having to replace much of their offensive firepower in 2023 and in a season filled with key injuries, the Volunteers still won nine games, finished No. 17 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls and dominated Big Ten West champion, then-No. 17 Iowa, 35-0, in the program’s first Citrus Bowl appearance in two decades on New Year’s Day 2024. It marked the Vols’ first shutout victory in a bowl game since beating Texas A&M, 3-0, in the 1957 Gator Bowl. Tennessee was the only SEC team during the 2023 bowl season to shutout an opponent. Three of the Vols’ four losses were versus teams who finished in the top eight of the final polls.
In 2023, Heupel leaned on a rushing attack that led the SEC and ranked ninth in the FBS, averaging 204.8 yards per game. It was the first time since 1999 that the Vols led the SEC in rushing offense. Defensively, the Vols finished in the top 25 nationally in six different categories, including an SEC-best 101 tackles for loss.
Three players earned All-SEC honors at the completion of the regular season - Pearce Jr., Mays and running back Jaylen Wright. Wright capped his career becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher for UT since 2015, and he did it quicker than any player in school history. His 7.39 yards per carry led all FBS running backs in 2023.
2022 For The Ages
Heupel’s Vols entered the 2022 campaign unranked, but they quickly made their mark. A thrilling 34-27 overtime road victory at No. 17 Pittsburgh set the stage for an epic three-game stretch that will forever live in Tennessee lore. With ESPN College Gameday on hand for the first time since 2016, the Vols beat rival Florida, 38-33, before throttling eventual SEC West champion LSU, 40-13, in Baton Rouge on Oct. 8. The victory was Tennessee’s largest in the series since 1940.
ESPN College Gameday returned for the second time in four weeks, this time for The Third Saturday in October matchup against Alabama. The Vols took down the No. 3/1 Crimson Tide, 52-49, on Chase McGrath’s 40-yard field goal as time expired that sent off a celebration for the ages with 11.6 million viewers tuning in, which represented the third-most for a college football regular season game all year.
Tennessee put up 567 yards of total offense and tallied 52 points—the most allowed by Alabama in a game in the SEC era (since 1933) and the most allowed in any game since surrendering 54 to Sewanee on Oct. 21, 1907. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt tied an SEC record and set a school mark with five receiving touchdowns, while quarterback Hendon Hooker became a hero, throwing for 385 yards and engineering a two-play drive in the final 14 seconds to set up the game-winner.
Two weeks later, the Vols donned “Dark Mode” uniforms with black helmets and dominated No. 19/17 Kentucky, 44-6, in ESPN primetime, catapulting UT to an 8-0 start. The rapid start ascended the Vols to No. 1 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on Nov. 1, giving UT its first top poll position since the 1998 national championship season. Heupel joined College Football Hall of Famers Fulmer, Bowden Wyatt and Neyland to lead the Vols to a No. 1 national ranking all-time.
Tennessee secured its first 10-win regular season since 2003 with Heupel becoming just the third Vol coach in the last 60 years to achieve that feat in his first or second season (Bill Battle, Fulmer). Meanwhile, Neyland Stadium returned to glory, drawing six sellouts for the first time since 2007 with the Vols posting an undefeated 7-0 home mark.
Heupel led Tennessee to its first Capital One Orange Bowl appearance in 25 years. With a predominantly pro-UT crowd in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium, the Vols beat ACC champion Clemson, 31-14, to claim its first Orange Bowl trophy since 1939. The triumph gave Tennessee its first 11-win season in over two decades as Heupel became just the fifth coach in school history to reach that mark, joining Fulmer, Johnny Majors, Battle and Neyland. Heupel did it against a brutal schedule that ranked fourth nationally.
The Vols concluded 2022 No. 6 in both the Associated Press and USA Today AFCA Coaches polls, representing their highest finish since 2001. Tennessee defeated four foes in the final AP Top 25, which was the second-highest total among teams in the final poll. The team finished with six wins over ranked teams, tying the 1998 squad for the most in program history.
For his efforts, Heupel was tabbed the 2022 AP SEC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the George Munger Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club. Heupel was the recipient of the AFCA’s Region 2 Coach of the Year, and he captured the fan vote for the Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Under Heupel’s leadership in 2022, the Vols led the nation in scoring offense (46.1), total offense (525.5), passing efficiency (181.4) and total touchdowns (79) for the first time in school history. UT was also tops in the SEC in tackles for loss per game (7.2), while ranking second in the league in rushing defense (115.8).
A year after breaking eight team single-season records, Tennessee shattered 15 program marks during the 2022 campaign. Heupel’s offensive unit rewrote the annals in total points (599), points per game, total offense (6,832), total offense per game, yards per play (7.2), total touchdowns, passing touchdowns (38), rushing touchdowns (40), completion percentage (68.7), passing efficiency, passing yards (4,239), fewest interceptions thrown (3) and first downs (330).
Heupel mentored Hooker, who swept the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year awards as selected by the coaches and Associated Press. He compiled 3,565 yards of total offense and 32 total touchdowns, while finishing second in the nation in passing efficiency (175.51). The signal caller shattered school records in passing efficiency, consecutive games with a touchdown pass (20) and single-season completion percentage (69.6).
Hooker secured the highest Heisman Trophy finish by a Vol in 25 years with fifth place, and he was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Meanwhile, Hyatt became the first player in school history to claim the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2022. He earned the prestigious honor of becoming the 13th unanimous first-team All-American in UT history and the first since College Football Hall of Famer Eric Berry in 2009. Hyatt broke the school record for single-season receiving touchdowns with 15, a mark that led all Power Five players.
2021 On The Rise
Heupel’s revival of the Vols began in 2021. Picked to finish fifth in the SEC East, Heupel guided Tennessee to a 7-6 first-year campaign, including a 4-4 mark in conference play to take third place in the division. The Vols beat six teams by at least 24 points, and Heupel became just the fifth UT head coach in the last 80 years to win seven or more games in his debut season.
Of the eight first-year Power Five head coaches in 2021, no coach won more regular season games than Heupel. That feat came against a schedule ranked among the top five in college football according to the ESPN FPI.
For his efforts, Heupel was tabbed by the Football Writers Association of America as the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award winner for the second time in his career. He was the first coach to win the honor multiple times since its inception. Tennessee earned a Music City Bowl appearance, and Heupel became the fifth Vol coach in the last 70 years to lead the Vols to a bowl in his debut season.
Under his leadership, Tennessee’s offense enjoyed the most significant improvement of any FBS team. The Vols jumped 99 spots in scoring offense in the FBS rankings, going from 108th in the country in 2020 to seventh in 2021, while averaging 39.3 points per game, a mark that ranked second in modern school history. Tennessee also leaped 93 spots in total offense, averaging a stellar 474.9 yards per game, which ranked ninth in the FBS.
Heupel quickly developed Hooker into one of the nation's most complete quarterbacks. In his first season, Hooker led the SEC and ranked third nationally in passing efficiency en route to being a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, Tennessee’s first since 2006.
Tennessee Path To The Draft
Player development has been evident in the Heupel era. Seventeen Vols have been selected in the NFL Draft under his watch, which is the highest four-year span of picks for UT since 2005-08. The Vols have produced multiple offensive players in every draft under Heupel, while seven transfers who came into the program have been drafted.
In the spring of 2025, Pearce Jr. became Tennessee’s 48th all-time NFL first round draft pick when he was taken No. 26 overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott followed in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Dont’e Thornton Jr. became the fourth wide receiver selected in the Heupel era when he was chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 fourth round. Dating back to his UCF days, Heupel leads the nation in number of wide receivers drafted since 2020 with seven.
Tennessee joined USC as the only schools to produce a running back drafted in the first four rounds in the last two drafts (2024-25). Sampson was chosen in the 2025 fourth round by the Cleveland Browns, solidifying that all three primary running back starters in the Heupel era reached the NFL.
Tennessee is one of just three programs in the last six years with a quarterback selected in back-to-back drafts as Joe Milton III went in the 2024 sixth round to the New England Patriots. Also in 2024, Wright was chosen in the third round (Miami Dolphins) and cornerback Kamal Hadden went in the sixth round (Kansas City Chiefs).
The 2023 NFL Draft saw the Volunteers produce five selections through the first three rounds, representing the second-most in the nation. Four of those five came on the offensive side of the ball. The four offensive picks through the first three rounds tied for the most in the country.
Darnell Wright was the highest drafted offensive lineman in the SEC and second highest overall going No. 10 to the Chicago Bears in the 2023 first round. Hooker (Detroit Lions), Hyatt (New York Giants), wide receiver Cedric Tillman (Cleveland Browns) and edge rusher Byron Young (Los Angeles Rams) were all chosen in the third round. Tennessee was the only program in the nation with multiple wide receivers selected through the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In 2022, defensive back Alontae Taylor was selected in the second round (New Orleans Saints), and Velus Jones Jr. went in the third round (Chicago Bears). Defensive lineman Matthew Butler went off the board in the fifth round (Las Vegas Raiders), offensive lineman Cade Mays was tabbed in the sixth round (Carolina Panthers), and defensive back Theo Jackson went to his hometown Tennessee Titans in the sixth round.
Academic Achievement
The Vols’ on-field success has correlated in the classroom as Tennessee has shattered the program record for GPA in four consecutive fall semesters under Heupel. The Vols produced semester records for GPA in the fall of 2024 (3.18) and the spring of 2025 (3.25).
A total of 89 football student-athletes tallied over a 3.0 GPA in the fall of 2024, and 84 achieved the feat in the spring of 2025. Thirty-two players received Dean’s List laurels this spring. In addition, UT generated nine new graduates in the fall of 2024 and eight more graduates in the spring of 2025.
The Vols produced 60 SEC Academic Honor Roll recipients in the fall of 2024, one year after celebrating a program record 63 in 2023. A total of 193 UT players have garnered SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades in four seasons under Heupel.
Two players have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors in the Heupel era. In 2021, specialist Paxton Brooks and defensive lineman Matthew Butler earned first and second team distinctions, respectively. Brooks repeated the honor in 2022.
Heupel emphasized the holistic development of the student-athlete and enhanced the team's player development staff with the establishment of eVOLve. The group focuses on year-round programming geared toward preparing the Vols for personal, academic and leadership success, as well as community engagement efforts.
Knight Lights
Heupel’s arrival in Knoxville came after a triumphant three-year head coaching stretch at UCF, an era that saw the Knights reaffirm themselves as one of college football’s most exciting teams. UCF owned a 28-8 overall record and an outstanding 20-5 mark in conference games under his watch, while shattering a program record for NFL Draft picks.
Heupel was the architect of a unit that ranked in the FBS top 10 in points per game in each of his three seasons—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).
Under Heupel's watch, UCF was the only team in the FBS to rank among the top five in total offense in each of those three seasons (2018-20), and the Knights were the only program in the nation to average at least 522.7 yards of total offense in each of those years as well. UCF joined Alabama as the only teams to rank among the top eight in the country in passing in each of his last two seasons (2019-20).
Heupel was tabbed as head coach at UCF in December 2017 by White 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 (Chris Petersen at Boise State in 2003 and Larry Coker at Miami in 2001 also accomplished that feat).
In 2018, his squad posted a 12-1 overall record and an 11-0 regular season mark en route to capturing the American Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He led UCF to as high as seventh in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches poll, marking the highest regular-season rankings in program history. The Knights finished the year ranked No. 11 in the AP and No. 12 in the Coaches’ poll.
As a result, Heupel won the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award, 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.
Preaching a 1-0 mentality every week, Heupel’s up-tempo 2018 offense posted 43.2 points per game that ranked sixth in the nation with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points. The Knights’ ground game set a program single-season record with 3,448 yards that same season as UCF averaged 265.2 yards rushing per game, which was eighth in the country.
Running back Greg McCrae in 2018 became UCF’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2013 with 1,182 yards on the ground, fourth most in program history. The passing attack in 2018 was one of the best in the nation behind quarterbacks McKenzie Milton and Darriel Mack Jr. UCF averaged 257.5 yards per game and 29 touchdowns that year, including 14.94 yards per completion, which was the ninth-best mark in the country. The quarterbacks posted the 21st-best passing efficiency mark of 149.71, while throwing just seven interceptions, representing the fewest by a UCF team in program history.
Not to be outdone, the UCF defense provided an outstanding 2018 campaign. The Knights allowed just 22.7 points per game and ranked sixth in the nation with 28 forced turnovers on the year. UCF racked up 8.2 tackles for loss per game, fifth most in the nation, and had 29 sacks.
UCF’s success continued in Heupel’s second season as the Knights produced a 10-3 overall record, culminating with a 48-25 blowout victory over Marshall in the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl. UCF finished the season ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches polls. The Knights also produced a perfect home-field record for the second straight year.
In 2019, UCF averaged 43.4 points per game, good for fifth in the FBS, and won their games by an average of 20.4 points. The Knights owned the fewest turnovers (15) of any team in the AAC that same year. True freshman signal-caller Dillon Gabriel produced a 29-to-seven touchdown pass-to-interception ratio, threw for 3,653 yards (13th nationally), averaged 15.48 yards per completion (fourth in the nation) and rated 13th in efficiency at 156.9 under Heupel’s guidance.
UCF’s 2019 defense led the nation in tackles for loss at 9.0 per game while permitting only 23.0 points. The Knights also ranked fifth in the country in third-down defense (.293 conversion rate) and third in pass efficiency defense.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, UCF set all-time single-season program per game records for total offense (568.1) and passing yards (357.4) in 2020 while earning a berth in the Boca Raton Bowl.
On the defensive side, Heupel’s squad led the FBS in recovered fumbles in 2020 with 13, while ranking sixth in total turnovers forced (22). The Knights also ranked 28th in tackles for loss (7.1 per game) and 38th in sacks (2.6).
Heupel’s track record of developing NFL talent was clear at UCF. A program-record five Knights were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, shattering the previous mark of four in 2003 and 2018. That tally ranked 11th among all teams nationally and was equal to or better than nine SEC teams.
Grant went 40th overall to the Atlanta Falcons in the second round, while Aaron Robinson was picked 71st overall by the New York Giants in the third round. In addition, Jacob Harris was tabbed 141st to the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round, Tay Gowan was taken 223rd overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round, and Tre Nixon went 242nd overall to the New England Patriots in the seventh round.
This came a year after wide receiver Gabriel Davis was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. In a 2021 NFL playoff divisional round game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Davis logged a career-high 201 receiving yards on eight catches and scored an NFL-record four receiving touchdowns. He became just the ninth player in NFL history to record 200+ receiving yards in a playoff game.
Off the field, Heupel’s programs were equally impressive. The Knights had 43 players selected to the 2018-19 AAC All-Academic Team. UCF also won a 2019 NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award as its four-year 984 APR figure for football ranked it among the top 10 percent of schools in that sport.
SEC Arrival
Heupel was no stranger to putting up big offensive numbers in the SEC. 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 Heupel’s first season of 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 and nation-leading 44 touchdown tosses. Lock was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Heupel’s final season in Columbia saw the Tigers reel off six straight victories to close the season and earn a berth in the Texas Bowl. Mizzou won four SEC games highlighted by a 45-point performance by Heupel’s offense in a triumph over Florida.
Sooner Success
Heupel began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater of Oklahoma. He was on a coaching staff that reached back-to-back national championship games during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Heupel helped mentor Jason White to the Heisman Trophy in 2003. White threw for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns with just eight interceptions as the Sooners rolled to an undefeated regular season and a BCS title game berth in 2003. He was the Associated Press Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American, the consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Davey O’Brien Award winner. In 2004, White left Oklahoma as its all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
Heupel spent the 2005 season as tight ends coach at Arizona before heading back to Oklahoma as a full-time assistant. He returned to his alma mater for the 2006 campaign and coached the quarterbacks for five seasons. Under Heupel’s tutelage in 2008, Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien and Sammy Baugh Awards. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency that season, and the Sooners tallied an NCAA record five straight 60-point games.
Heupel was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2011 and served in that role for four seasons. His 2011 offense ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (512.3) and passing offense (349.4). The 2012 unit ranked fifth in the nation in passing (336.8) and 12th in total offense (498.6). In his final season with OU, the Sooners ranked second in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (9) and led the Big 12 and ranked 11th in the nation in rushing (261.2), as well as finishing 21st in the nation in scoring (36.4) and 23rd in total offense (464.7).
Following his time at Oklahoma, Heupel served as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah State in 2015. Despite the loss of its starting quarterback to injury, Heupel’s unit improved from 81st nationally to 60th in scoring offense.
National Champion Quarterback
Heupel was a national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000, leading the Sooners to a victory over Florida State in the 2001 BCS National Championship Game Orange Bowl and a Big 12 Conference championship. With 1,552 votes, Heupel finished ahead of the likes of Purdue’s Drew Brees, TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson and Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick in the Heisman poll. A consensus All-American in 2000, Heupel captured the Associated Press Player of the Year and Walter Camp Award.
During his two seasons as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma from 1999-2000, Heupel posted a 20-5 record. He passed for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns. Overall, he still ranks among OU’s top five quarterbacks in passing yards (fifth), completions (third) and touchdown passes (fifth), despite playing just two seasons.
Heupel forged his path to major college football as a junior college All-America performer at Snow College in Utah in 1998, throwing for 2,308 yards and 28 scores. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2014. Prior to that, he played his 1997 freshman season at Weber State.
Heupel was selected with the No. 177 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was recruited to Oklahoma by the late Mike Leach, who coached him in 1999.
Heupel appeared on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the sixth straight year in 2026.
Family
An Aberdeen, South Dakota, native, Heupel earned his bachelor's degree in business marketing from Oklahoma in 2001.
Heupel played high school football at Aberdeen Central, leading his team to a state quarterfinals appearance in 1995. He grew up watching film with his father Ken, who served as head coach of Division II Northern State University for seven seasons.
He and his wife, Dawn, have two children—daughter Hannah and son Jace.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JOSH HEUPEL ...
“I’ll tell you one thing — you can not fake what you saw from that (Tennessee) team responding to Josh Heupel. Relationships in college football will always, always win. I don’t care how much money is being thrown around. I don’t care how many portal players are being added or taken away. Relationships, at the end of the day, will always be the differentiating factor when it comes to talented roster versus talented roster. You have to have talent, there’s no doubt about it, but I think players can smell fake from a mile away. Regardless of what people want to say right now about NIL, social media and culture not really mattering anymore, no … From what I could tell from Josh Heupel and the way his team responded to him, there was nothing fake about it, and that’s going to be sustainable.”
- J.D. PicKell, On3
“Tennessee has what most coaches are searching for — the vibe and culture around Tennessee, et cetera. They have a high-end offense and one of the best play callers in the country who happens to be their head coach. But now they’ve got great defense over there, great to elite at times, and they have full program buy-in. These are the sorts of things that every coach preaches at his press conference when he gets introduced.”
- Josh Pate, Josh Pate’s College Football Show
“From day one, Coach Heupel came in with the attitude of we want to win ball games. He has an aggressive mindset to just go out there and dominate. Him bringing that competitive approach to the team, as well as being a great listener has been invaluable. He understands what the team needs in every aspect, not just in the building but in life as well. You never know what some of the players are going through. He’s very appealing to every player and very down to Earth. I think he’s the best coach in America.”
- Hendon Hooker, 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and National Player of the Year finalist
“Coach Heupel played a huge role in my development both on and off the field. His knowledge of the game helped me become the player I am today. He taught me principles that I still apply today in the NFL. He is competitive, driven and always looks out for his players. Tennessee players will thrive in the fun culture he creates.”
- Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks QB and 2019 NFL Draft Pick
“Coach Heupel will be a tremendous leader for the University of Tennessee football team. He is one of the best coaches I have ever been around. His knowledge and ability to teach are second to none. He was critical in my development as a quarterback. Tennessee players will absolutely love playing for him.”
- Sam Bradford, 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner, Nine-Year NFL Quarterback, No. 1 NFL Draft Pick in 2010
“Tennessee prepared me a lot for the league -- the way we practiced, from an accountability standpoint and from a leadership standpoint. Coach Heupel practices like NFL teams. His motto is ‘we are going to be the fastest, freshest team on Saturday.’ Him moving me to the slot, for him to get the ball in my hands any type of way, that’s what they did by moving me to the slot. It showed how productive I am when the ball is touching my hands. It opened things up a lot. In his offense, you feel free and comfortable to make plays as a receiver.”
- Velus Jones Jr., 2022 NFL Draft Third Round Pick and 2021 SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year
“I think Josh Heupel today is the most innovative and creative offensive mind in college football. You saw that Saturday. You tell me — I thought I was watching (Patrick) Mahomes and (Josh) Allen last year in the playoffs. Eighteen seconds in college (to score). That's unheard of, what they manufactured. That was brilliant. That was unlike anything I've ever seen in college football in a generation.”
- Paul Finebaum, SEC Network on 2022 victory over Alabama
“The quick work Danny White and Josh Heupel have done—it is a validation of new leadership and new thinking and also a validation that Josh Heupel is a big time SEC coach and Tennessee is on the right trajectory after being on the wrong trajectory for about 15 years.”
- Pete Thamel, ESPN College GameDay
Former national champion quarterback Josh Heupel took the reins of Tennessee football in 2021 and has guided the proud program to a national resurgence, including the Volunteers’ first College Football Playoff appearance in 2024. The 2022 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year and two-time National Coach of the Year finalist was officially announced as Tennessee’s 27th head football coach on Jan. 27, 2021, by Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, who he worked alongside at UCF.
THE HEUPEL FILE
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Full Name: Joshua Kenneth Heupel
Birthdate: March 22, 1978
Hometown: Aberdeen, South Dakota
Education: Oklahoma, 2001 (bachelor’s in business marketing)
Wife: Dawn
Children: Hannah and Jace
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
1997: Weber State, quarterback
1998: Snow (Utah) College, quarterback
1999-2000: Oklahoma, quarterback
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2003-04: Oklahoma, Graduate Assistant
2005: Arizona, Tight Ends
2006-10: Oklahoma, Quarterbacks
2011-14: Oklahoma, Co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2015: Utah State, Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2016-17: Missouri, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
2018-20: UCF, Head Coach
2021-present: Tennessee, Head Coach
YEAR-BY-YEAR HEAD COACHING RECORD
Year, School, Overall Record, Conf. Record
2018, UCF, 12-1, 9-0, AAC Champions, No. 11/12 final ranking
2019, UCF, 10-3, 6-2, No. 24/24 final ranking
2020, UCF, 6-4, 5-3
2021, Tennessee, 7-6, 4-4
2022, Tennessee, 11-2, 6-2, No. 6/6 final ranking
2023, Tennessee, 9-4, 4-4, No. 17/17 final ranking
2024, Tennessee, 10-3, 6-2, No. 8 CFP final ranking
2025, Tennessee, 2-1, 0-1
UCF, Three Years, 28-8, 20-5
Tennessee, Fifth Year, 39-16 (.709), 20-13
Overall, Eighth Year, 67-24 (.736), 40-18
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (1)
2000 – Oklahoma (Player)
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS (8)
2018 AAC – UCF (Head coach)
2012 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Co-offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks)
2010 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Quarterbacks)
2008 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Quarterbacks)
2007 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Quarterbacks)
2006 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Quarterbacks)
2004 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Graduate Assistant)
2000 Big 12 – Oklahoma (Player)
POSTSEASON APPEARANCES AS A COACH (20)
2024 CFP First Round - Tennessee
2024 Citrus Bowl - Tennessee
2022 Orange Bowl - Tennessee
2021 Music City Bowl - Tennessee
2020 Boca Raton Bowl - UCF
2019 Gasparilla Bowl – UCF
2019 Fiesta Bowl – UCF
2017 Texas Bowl – Missouri
2015 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl – Utah State
2014 Russell Athletic Bowl – Oklahoma
2014 Sugar Bowl – Oklahoma
2013 Cotton Bowl – Oklahoma
2011 Insight Bowl – Oklahoma
2011 Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma
2009 Sun Bowl – Oklahoma
2009 BCS National Championship Game – Oklahoma
2008 Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma
2007 Fiesta Bowl – Oklahoma
2005 BCS National Championship Game Orange Bowl – Oklahoma
2004 BCS National Championship Game Sugar Bowl - Oklahoma
BOWL GAME APPEARANCES AS A PLAYER (2)
2001 BCS National Championship Game Orange Bowl – Oklahoma
1999 Independence Bowl – Oklahoma
UT TEAM SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS UNDER HEUPEL (18)
Wins Over Ranked Teams - 6* in 2022
Total Points - 599 in 2022
Points Per Game - 46.1 in 2022
Total Offensive Yards - 6,832 in 2022
Total Offense Per Game - 525.5 in 2022
Yards Per Play - 7.2 in 2022
Touchdowns - 79 in 2022
Offensive Touchdowns - 78 in 2022
Passing Touchdowns - 38 in 2022
Rushing Touchdowns - 40 in 2022
Completion Percentage - 68.7 in 2022
Passing Efficiency - 181.39 in 2022
Passing Yards - 4,239 in 2022
Passing Yards Per Game - 326.1 in 2022
Fewest Interceptions Thrown - 3 in 2021, 2022
Point After Touchdowns Made - 75 in 2022
Total First Downs - 330 in 2022
Rushing First Downs - 164 in 2021
* - at time of meeting; tied 1998 team
NFL DRAFT PICKS COACHED
DE James Pearce Jr., Atlanta Falcons, 2025
DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Kansas City Chiefs, 2025
WR Dont'e Thornton Jr., Las Vegas Raiders, 2025
RB Dylan Sampson, Cleveland Browns, 2025
RB Jaylen Wright, Miami Dolphins, 2024
QB Joe Milton III, New England Patriots, 2024
DB Kamal Hadden, Kansas City Chiefs, 2024
OL Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears, 2023
QB Hendon Hooker, Detroit Lions, 2023
WR Jalin Hyatt, New York Giants, 2023
WR Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns, 2023
DE Byron Young, Los Angeles Rams, 2023
DB Alontae Taylor, New Orleans Saints, 2022
WR Velus Jones Jr., Chicago Bears, 2022
DL Matthew Butler, Las Vegas Raiders, 2022
OL Cade Mays, Carolina Panthers, 2022
DB Theo Jackson, Tennessee Titans, 2022
DB Richie Grant, Atlanta Falcons, 2021
DB Aaron Robinson, New York Giants, 2021
WR Jacob Harris, Los Angeles Rams, 2021
DB Tay Gowan, Arizona Cardinals, 2021
WR Tre Nixon, New England Patriots, 2021
WR Gabriel Davis, Buffalo Bills, 2020
QB Drew Lock, Denver Broncos, 2019
WR J’Mon Moore, Green Bay Packers, 2018
OL Daryl Williams, Carolina Panthers, 2015
TE Blake Bell, San Francisco 49ers, 2015
OL Tyrus Thompson, Minnesota Vikings, 2015
FB Aaron Ripkowski, Green Bay Packers, 2015
WR Jalen Saunders, New York Jets, 2014
FB Trey Millard, San Francisco 49ers, 2014
OL Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles, 2013
QB Landry Jones, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013
WR Kenny Stills, New Orleans Saints, 2013
WR Justin Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers, 2013
WR Ryan Broyles, Detroit Lions, 2012
OL Donald Stephenson, Kansas City Chiefs, 2012
TE James Hanna, Dallas Cowboys, 2012
QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams, 2010
On Aug. 26, 2025, White announced a contract extension for Heupel through January 2030.
Heupel owns a stellar 67-24 overall record (.736) and a 40-18 (.690) conference mark in now his eighth season as an FBS head coach. His 67 victories since the start of the 2018 season ranks sixth nationally, and he is one of only three active FBS head coaches to lead multiple programs to New Year’s Six Bowl appearances in the College Football Playoff era. The son of a successful head coach, Heupel has studied the game his entire life and reached the pinnacle of the sport as both a player and assistant coach.
The 47-year-old has coached and played in multiple national championship games, won eight conference championships, made 20 postseason appearances, developed two Heisman Trophy winners and five top-five Heisman finishers. Five of his seven teams have been ranked in the final polls with three squads securing either a New Year’s Six or CFP berth.
The 2025 season is his eighth as a head coach and fifth in charge of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee Turnaround
Taking over a program coming off a 3-7 season and the departure of several players prior to his arrival, Heupel instilled a strong culture built on trust, accountability and relationships. The results have seen Tennessee celebrate its greatest chapter in over two decades.
In five seasons, Heupel’s remarkable revival of the Volunteers has seen him produce a 39-16 overall record, 11 victories over Top 25 teams, the school’s first New Year’s Six berth in the CFP era, three straight top-20 poll finishes and a College Football Playoff berth. The 11 ranked wins are sixth nationally among FBS head coaches during that span and are already fifth in UT history. Heupel’s .709 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last five decades. His 37 wins were the third-most through the first four full seasons by a UT coach, trailing only Bill Battle (39 from 1970-73) and Phillip Fulmer (38 from 1993-96). Both Battle and Fulmer took over UT teams that had winning records prior to their hires. Seven Vols have earned All-America honors in the Heupel era.
Heupel guided Tennessee to its winningest three-year stretch (30) since 1998-2000 (30), and the program’s .769 winning percentage during that stretch was the eighth-best nationally and third-best in the SEC. The Vols have also won at least nine games in three straight seasons, which is the longest streak for the program since 1995-99.
Heupel’s Vols have thrived against rivals and SEC competition. Tennessee has defeated Alabama and Florida in the same season twice over the past three years. It was the first time that feat occurred at UT since 2003-04. Heading into the 2025 campaign, Heupel is the only head coach in the nation with multiple victories against the Crimson Tide in the last seven seasons (2018-24). Meanwhile, Tennessee has won 16 SEC contests since the start of 2022, which was the program’s best three-year stretch run since winning 18 from 2002-04.
2024 Playoff Bound
In 2024, Tennessee won 10 regular season games for the second time in three years and punched its ticket to its first College Football Playoff berth. Heupel became the third coach in school history with multiple 10-win regular seasons, joining Fulmer (five times in 17 years) and Gen. Robert Neyland (five times in 21 years). Prior to Heupel’s arrival, Tennessee had not produced a 10-win regular season since 2003, and they have done it twice under his watch.
After being picked seventh by the media at SEC Media Days, the Vols finished 2024 tied for second in the SEC regular season standings with Georgia at 6-2 and 10-3 overall. Tennessee was one of only three SEC teams to reach the 2024 College Football Playoff. Two of the Vols’ three losses came on the road versus CFP teams, including eventual national champion Ohio State in the first round. Tennessee finished No. 7 in the CFP rankings, No. 9 in the Associated Press Top 25 and No. 8 in the Amway Coaches poll.
Spearheaded by a defense that ranked in the FBS top 10 in nine different categories, the Vols dominated NC State, gave Heupel a thrilling victory in his return to Oklahoma and celebrated epic wins again versus rivals Florida and then-No. 7 Alabama on the Third Saturday in October. Tennessee’s 2024 defense surrendered its fewest point per game average (16.1) since the 1998 national championship team issued 14.5 ppg.
Lifted by the spectacular play of 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson, the Vols led the SEC in rushing for the second straight year (225.8) and finished ninth nationally. Sampson shattered five single-season records with the most prolific individual rushing season in school history. He became the third different Vol in the Heupel era to earn SEC Player of the Year honors – offense, defense or special teams.
Sampson was one of three UT players to receive All-America status in 2024. Center Cooper Mays became the 79th player in school history to earn first-team laurels, and he was the first Rimington Trophy finalist in UT history. Cornerback Jermod McCoy, in his first season in Orange and White, was a second-team selection along with Sampson. Six players were named to the 2024 Coaches All-SEC teams, representing the program’s most since 2012. Sampson, Mays and edge rusher James Pearce Jr. were all first teamers. McCoy was a second-team honoree, and offensive lineman Javontez Spraggins and kickoff specialist Josh Turbyville were named to the third team.
2023
Having to replace much of their offensive firepower in 2023 and in a season filled with key injuries, the Volunteers still won nine games, finished No. 17 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls and dominated Big Ten West champion, then-No. 17 Iowa, 35-0, in the program’s first Citrus Bowl appearance in two decades on New Year’s Day 2024. It marked the Vols’ first shutout victory in a bowl game since beating Texas A&M, 3-0, in the 1957 Gator Bowl. Tennessee was the only SEC team during the 2023 bowl season to shutout an opponent. Three of the Vols’ four losses were versus teams who finished in the top eight of the final polls.
In 2023, Heupel leaned on a rushing attack that led the SEC and ranked ninth in the FBS, averaging 204.8 yards per game. It was the first time since 1999 that the Vols led the SEC in rushing offense. Defensively, the Vols finished in the top 25 nationally in six different categories, including an SEC-best 101 tackles for loss.
Three players earned All-SEC honors at the completion of the regular season - Pearce Jr., Mays and running back Jaylen Wright. Wright capped his career becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher for UT since 2015, and he did it quicker than any player in school history. His 7.39 yards per carry led all FBS running backs in 2023.
2022 For The Ages
Heupel’s Vols entered the 2022 campaign unranked, but they quickly made their mark. A thrilling 34-27 overtime road victory at No. 17 Pittsburgh set the stage for an epic three-game stretch that will forever live in Tennessee lore. With ESPN College Gameday on hand for the first time since 2016, the Vols beat rival Florida, 38-33, before throttling eventual SEC West champion LSU, 40-13, in Baton Rouge on Oct. 8. The victory was Tennessee’s largest in the series since 1940.
ESPN College Gameday returned for the second time in four weeks, this time for The Third Saturday in October matchup against Alabama. The Vols took down the No. 3/1 Crimson Tide, 52-49, on Chase McGrath’s 40-yard field goal as time expired that sent off a celebration for the ages with 11.6 million viewers tuning in, which represented the third-most for a college football regular season game all year.
Tennessee put up 567 yards of total offense and tallied 52 points—the most allowed by Alabama in a game in the SEC era (since 1933) and the most allowed in any game since surrendering 54 to Sewanee on Oct. 21, 1907. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt tied an SEC record and set a school mark with five receiving touchdowns, while quarterback Hendon Hooker became a hero, throwing for 385 yards and engineering a two-play drive in the final 14 seconds to set up the game-winner.
Two weeks later, the Vols donned “Dark Mode” uniforms with black helmets and dominated No. 19/17 Kentucky, 44-6, in ESPN primetime, catapulting UT to an 8-0 start. The rapid start ascended the Vols to No. 1 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on Nov. 1, giving UT its first top poll position since the 1998 national championship season. Heupel joined College Football Hall of Famers Fulmer, Bowden Wyatt and Neyland to lead the Vols to a No. 1 national ranking all-time.
Tennessee secured its first 10-win regular season since 2003 with Heupel becoming just the third Vol coach in the last 60 years to achieve that feat in his first or second season (Bill Battle, Fulmer). Meanwhile, Neyland Stadium returned to glory, drawing six sellouts for the first time since 2007 with the Vols posting an undefeated 7-0 home mark.
Heupel led Tennessee to its first Capital One Orange Bowl appearance in 25 years. With a predominantly pro-UT crowd in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium, the Vols beat ACC champion Clemson, 31-14, to claim its first Orange Bowl trophy since 1939. The triumph gave Tennessee its first 11-win season in over two decades as Heupel became just the fifth coach in school history to reach that mark, joining Fulmer, Johnny Majors, Battle and Neyland. Heupel did it against a brutal schedule that ranked fourth nationally.
The Vols concluded 2022 No. 6 in both the Associated Press and USA Today AFCA Coaches polls, representing their highest finish since 2001. Tennessee defeated four foes in the final AP Top 25, which was the second-highest total among teams in the final poll. The team finished with six wins over ranked teams, tying the 1998 squad for the most in program history.
For his efforts, Heupel was tabbed the 2022 AP SEC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the George Munger Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club. Heupel was the recipient of the AFCA’s Region 2 Coach of the Year, and he captured the fan vote for the Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Under Heupel’s leadership in 2022, the Vols led the nation in scoring offense (46.1), total offense (525.5), passing efficiency (181.4) and total touchdowns (79) for the first time in school history. UT was also tops in the SEC in tackles for loss per game (7.2), while ranking second in the league in rushing defense (115.8).
A year after breaking eight team single-season records, Tennessee shattered 15 program marks during the 2022 campaign. Heupel’s offensive unit rewrote the annals in total points (599), points per game, total offense (6,832), total offense per game, yards per play (7.2), total touchdowns, passing touchdowns (38), rushing touchdowns (40), completion percentage (68.7), passing efficiency, passing yards (4,239), fewest interceptions thrown (3) and first downs (330).
Heupel mentored Hooker, who swept the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year awards as selected by the coaches and Associated Press. He compiled 3,565 yards of total offense and 32 total touchdowns, while finishing second in the nation in passing efficiency (175.51). The signal caller shattered school records in passing efficiency, consecutive games with a touchdown pass (20) and single-season completion percentage (69.6).
Hooker secured the highest Heisman Trophy finish by a Vol in 25 years with fifth place, and he was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Meanwhile, Hyatt became the first player in school history to claim the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2022. He earned the prestigious honor of becoming the 13th unanimous first-team All-American in UT history and the first since College Football Hall of Famer Eric Berry in 2009. Hyatt broke the school record for single-season receiving touchdowns with 15, a mark that led all Power Five players.
2021 On The Rise
Heupel’s revival of the Vols began in 2021. Picked to finish fifth in the SEC East, Heupel guided Tennessee to a 7-6 first-year campaign, including a 4-4 mark in conference play to take third place in the division. The Vols beat six teams by at least 24 points, and Heupel became just the fifth UT head coach in the last 80 years to win seven or more games in his debut season.
Of the eight first-year Power Five head coaches in 2021, no coach won more regular season games than Heupel. That feat came against a schedule ranked among the top five in college football according to the ESPN FPI.
For his efforts, Heupel was tabbed by the Football Writers Association of America as the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award winner for the second time in his career. He was the first coach to win the honor multiple times since its inception. Tennessee earned a Music City Bowl appearance, and Heupel became the fifth Vol coach in the last 70 years to lead the Vols to a bowl in his debut season.
Under his leadership, Tennessee’s offense enjoyed the most significant improvement of any FBS team. The Vols jumped 99 spots in scoring offense in the FBS rankings, going from 108th in the country in 2020 to seventh in 2021, while averaging 39.3 points per game, a mark that ranked second in modern school history. Tennessee also leaped 93 spots in total offense, averaging a stellar 474.9 yards per game, which ranked ninth in the FBS.
Heupel quickly developed Hooker into one of the nation's most complete quarterbacks. In his first season, Hooker led the SEC and ranked third nationally in passing efficiency en route to being a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, Tennessee’s first since 2006.
Tennessee Path To The Draft
Player development has been evident in the Heupel era. Seventeen Vols have been selected in the NFL Draft under his watch, which is the highest four-year span of picks for UT since 2005-08. The Vols have produced multiple offensive players in every draft under Heupel, while seven transfers who came into the program have been drafted.
In the spring of 2025, Pearce Jr. became Tennessee’s 48th all-time NFL first round draft pick when he was taken No. 26 overall by the Atlanta Falcons. Defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott followed in the second round by the Kansas City Chiefs. Dont’e Thornton Jr. became the fourth wide receiver selected in the Heupel era when he was chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2025 fourth round. Dating back to his UCF days, Heupel leads the nation in number of wide receivers drafted since 2020 with seven.
Tennessee joined USC as the only schools to produce a running back drafted in the first four rounds in the last two drafts (2024-25). Sampson was chosen in the 2025 fourth round by the Cleveland Browns, solidifying that all three primary running back starters in the Heupel era reached the NFL.
Tennessee is one of just three programs in the last six years with a quarterback selected in back-to-back drafts as Joe Milton III went in the 2024 sixth round to the New England Patriots. Also in 2024, Wright was chosen in the third round (Miami Dolphins) and cornerback Kamal Hadden went in the sixth round (Kansas City Chiefs).
The 2023 NFL Draft saw the Volunteers produce five selections through the first three rounds, representing the second-most in the nation. Four of those five came on the offensive side of the ball. The four offensive picks through the first three rounds tied for the most in the country.
Darnell Wright was the highest drafted offensive lineman in the SEC and second highest overall going No. 10 to the Chicago Bears in the 2023 first round. Hooker (Detroit Lions), Hyatt (New York Giants), wide receiver Cedric Tillman (Cleveland Browns) and edge rusher Byron Young (Los Angeles Rams) were all chosen in the third round. Tennessee was the only program in the nation with multiple wide receivers selected through the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In 2022, defensive back Alontae Taylor was selected in the second round (New Orleans Saints), and Velus Jones Jr. went in the third round (Chicago Bears). Defensive lineman Matthew Butler went off the board in the fifth round (Las Vegas Raiders), offensive lineman Cade Mays was tabbed in the sixth round (Carolina Panthers), and defensive back Theo Jackson went to his hometown Tennessee Titans in the sixth round.
Academic Achievement
The Vols’ on-field success has correlated in the classroom as Tennessee has shattered the program record for GPA in four consecutive fall semesters under Heupel. The Vols produced semester records for GPA in the fall of 2024 (3.18) and the spring of 2025 (3.25).
A total of 89 football student-athletes tallied over a 3.0 GPA in the fall of 2024, and 84 achieved the feat in the spring of 2025. Thirty-two players received Dean’s List laurels this spring. In addition, UT generated nine new graduates in the fall of 2024 and eight more graduates in the spring of 2025.
The Vols produced 60 SEC Academic Honor Roll recipients in the fall of 2024, one year after celebrating a program record 63 in 2023. A total of 193 UT players have garnered SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades in four seasons under Heupel.
Two players have earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America honors in the Heupel era. In 2021, specialist Paxton Brooks and defensive lineman Matthew Butler earned first and second team distinctions, respectively. Brooks repeated the honor in 2022.
Heupel emphasized the holistic development of the student-athlete and enhanced the team's player development staff with the establishment of eVOLve. The group focuses on year-round programming geared toward preparing the Vols for personal, academic and leadership success, as well as community engagement efforts.
Knight Lights
Heupel’s arrival in Knoxville came after a triumphant three-year head coaching stretch at UCF, an era that saw the Knights reaffirm themselves as one of college football’s most exciting teams. UCF owned a 28-8 overall record and an outstanding 20-5 mark in conference games under his watch, while shattering a program record for NFL Draft picks.
Heupel was the architect of a unit that ranked in the FBS top 10 in points per game in each of his three seasons—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).
Under Heupel's watch, UCF was the only team in the FBS to rank among the top five in total offense in each of those three seasons (2018-20), and the Knights were the only program in the nation to average at least 522.7 yards of total offense in each of those years as well. UCF joined Alabama as the only teams to rank among the top eight in the country in passing in each of his last two seasons (2019-20).
Heupel was tabbed as head coach at UCF in December 2017 by White 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 (Chris Petersen at Boise State in 2003 and Larry Coker at Miami in 2001 also accomplished that feat).
In 2018, his squad posted a 12-1 overall record and an 11-0 regular season mark en route to capturing the American Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He led UCF to as high as seventh in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches poll, marking the highest regular-season rankings in program history. The Knights finished the year ranked No. 11 in the AP and No. 12 in the Coaches’ poll.
As a result, Heupel won the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award, 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.
Preaching a 1-0 mentality every week, Heupel’s up-tempo 2018 offense posted 43.2 points per game that ranked sixth in the nation with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points. The Knights’ ground game set a program single-season record with 3,448 yards that same season as UCF averaged 265.2 yards rushing per game, which was eighth in the country.
Running back Greg McCrae in 2018 became UCF’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2013 with 1,182 yards on the ground, fourth most in program history. The passing attack in 2018 was one of the best in the nation behind quarterbacks McKenzie Milton and Darriel Mack Jr. UCF averaged 257.5 yards per game and 29 touchdowns that year, including 14.94 yards per completion, which was the ninth-best mark in the country. The quarterbacks posted the 21st-best passing efficiency mark of 149.71, while throwing just seven interceptions, representing the fewest by a UCF team in program history.
Not to be outdone, the UCF defense provided an outstanding 2018 campaign. The Knights allowed just 22.7 points per game and ranked sixth in the nation with 28 forced turnovers on the year. UCF racked up 8.2 tackles for loss per game, fifth most in the nation, and had 29 sacks.
UCF’s success continued in Heupel’s second season as the Knights produced a 10-3 overall record, culminating with a 48-25 blowout victory over Marshall in the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl. UCF finished the season ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches polls. The Knights also produced a perfect home-field record for the second straight year.
In 2019, UCF averaged 43.4 points per game, good for fifth in the FBS, and won their games by an average of 20.4 points. The Knights owned the fewest turnovers (15) of any team in the AAC that same year. True freshman signal-caller Dillon Gabriel produced a 29-to-seven touchdown pass-to-interception ratio, threw for 3,653 yards (13th nationally), averaged 15.48 yards per completion (fourth in the nation) and rated 13th in efficiency at 156.9 under Heupel’s guidance.
UCF’s 2019 defense led the nation in tackles for loss at 9.0 per game while permitting only 23.0 points. The Knights also ranked fifth in the country in third-down defense (.293 conversion rate) and third in pass efficiency defense.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, UCF set all-time single-season program per game records for total offense (568.1) and passing yards (357.4) in 2020 while earning a berth in the Boca Raton Bowl.
On the defensive side, Heupel’s squad led the FBS in recovered fumbles in 2020 with 13, while ranking sixth in total turnovers forced (22). The Knights also ranked 28th in tackles for loss (7.1 per game) and 38th in sacks (2.6).
Heupel’s track record of developing NFL talent was clear at UCF. A program-record five Knights were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, shattering the previous mark of four in 2003 and 2018. That tally ranked 11th among all teams nationally and was equal to or better than nine SEC teams.
Grant went 40th overall to the Atlanta Falcons in the second round, while Aaron Robinson was picked 71st overall by the New York Giants in the third round. In addition, Jacob Harris was tabbed 141st to the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round, Tay Gowan was taken 223rd overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round, and Tre Nixon went 242nd overall to the New England Patriots in the seventh round.
This came a year after wide receiver Gabriel Davis was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. In a 2021 NFL playoff divisional round game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Davis logged a career-high 201 receiving yards on eight catches and scored an NFL-record four receiving touchdowns. He became just the ninth player in NFL history to record 200+ receiving yards in a playoff game.
Off the field, Heupel’s programs were equally impressive. The Knights had 43 players selected to the 2018-19 AAC All-Academic Team. UCF also won a 2019 NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award as its four-year 984 APR figure for football ranked it among the top 10 percent of schools in that sport.
SEC Arrival
Heupel was no stranger to putting up big offensive numbers in the SEC. 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 Heupel’s first season of 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 and nation-leading 44 touchdown tosses. Lock was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Heupel’s final season in Columbia saw the Tigers reel off six straight victories to close the season and earn a berth in the Texas Bowl. Mizzou won four SEC games highlighted by a 45-point performance by Heupel’s offense in a triumph over Florida.
Sooner Success
Heupel began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater of Oklahoma. He was on a coaching staff that reached back-to-back national championship games during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Heupel helped mentor Jason White to the Heisman Trophy in 2003. White threw for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns with just eight interceptions as the Sooners rolled to an undefeated regular season and a BCS title game berth in 2003. He was the Associated Press Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American, the consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Davey O’Brien Award winner. In 2004, White left Oklahoma as its all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
Heupel spent the 2005 season as tight ends coach at Arizona before heading back to Oklahoma as a full-time assistant. He returned to his alma mater for the 2006 campaign and coached the quarterbacks for five seasons. Under Heupel’s tutelage in 2008, Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien and Sammy Baugh Awards. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency that season, and the Sooners tallied an NCAA record five straight 60-point games.
Heupel was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2011 and served in that role for four seasons. His 2011 offense ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (512.3) and passing offense (349.4). The 2012 unit ranked fifth in the nation in passing (336.8) and 12th in total offense (498.6). In his final season with OU, the Sooners ranked second in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (9) and led the Big 12 and ranked 11th in the nation in rushing (261.2), as well as finishing 21st in the nation in scoring (36.4) and 23rd in total offense (464.7).
Following his time at Oklahoma, Heupel served as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah State in 2015. Despite the loss of its starting quarterback to injury, Heupel’s unit improved from 81st nationally to 60th in scoring offense.
National Champion Quarterback
Heupel was a national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000, leading the Sooners to a victory over Florida State in the 2001 BCS National Championship Game Orange Bowl and a Big 12 Conference championship. With 1,552 votes, Heupel finished ahead of the likes of Purdue’s Drew Brees, TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson and Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick in the Heisman poll. A consensus All-American in 2000, Heupel captured the Associated Press Player of the Year and Walter Camp Award.
During his two seasons as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma from 1999-2000, Heupel posted a 20-5 record. He passed for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns. Overall, he still ranks among OU’s top five quarterbacks in passing yards (fifth), completions (third) and touchdown passes (fifth), despite playing just two seasons.
Heupel forged his path to major college football as a junior college All-America performer at Snow College in Utah in 1998, throwing for 2,308 yards and 28 scores. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2014. Prior to that, he played his 1997 freshman season at Weber State.
Heupel was selected with the No. 177 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was recruited to Oklahoma by the late Mike Leach, who coached him in 1999.
Heupel appeared on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the sixth straight year in 2026.
Family
An Aberdeen, South Dakota, native, Heupel earned his bachelor's degree in business marketing from Oklahoma in 2001.
Heupel played high school football at Aberdeen Central, leading his team to a state quarterfinals appearance in 1995. He grew up watching film with his father Ken, who served as head coach of Division II Northern State University for seven seasons.
He and his wife, Dawn, have two children—daughter Hannah and son Jace.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JOSH HEUPEL ...
“I’ll tell you one thing — you can not fake what you saw from that (Tennessee) team responding to Josh Heupel. Relationships in college football will always, always win. I don’t care how much money is being thrown around. I don’t care how many portal players are being added or taken away. Relationships, at the end of the day, will always be the differentiating factor when it comes to talented roster versus talented roster. You have to have talent, there’s no doubt about it, but I think players can smell fake from a mile away. Regardless of what people want to say right now about NIL, social media and culture not really mattering anymore, no … From what I could tell from Josh Heupel and the way his team responded to him, there was nothing fake about it, and that’s going to be sustainable.”
- J.D. PicKell, On3
“Tennessee has what most coaches are searching for — the vibe and culture around Tennessee, et cetera. They have a high-end offense and one of the best play callers in the country who happens to be their head coach. But now they’ve got great defense over there, great to elite at times, and they have full program buy-in. These are the sorts of things that every coach preaches at his press conference when he gets introduced.”
- Josh Pate, Josh Pate’s College Football Show
“From day one, Coach Heupel came in with the attitude of we want to win ball games. He has an aggressive mindset to just go out there and dominate. Him bringing that competitive approach to the team, as well as being a great listener has been invaluable. He understands what the team needs in every aspect, not just in the building but in life as well. You never know what some of the players are going through. He’s very appealing to every player and very down to Earth. I think he’s the best coach in America.”
- Hendon Hooker, 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and National Player of the Year finalist
“Coach Heupel played a huge role in my development both on and off the field. His knowledge of the game helped me become the player I am today. He taught me principles that I still apply today in the NFL. He is competitive, driven and always looks out for his players. Tennessee players will thrive in the fun culture he creates.”
- Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks QB and 2019 NFL Draft Pick
“Coach Heupel will be a tremendous leader for the University of Tennessee football team. He is one of the best coaches I have ever been around. His knowledge and ability to teach are second to none. He was critical in my development as a quarterback. Tennessee players will absolutely love playing for him.”
- Sam Bradford, 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner, Nine-Year NFL Quarterback, No. 1 NFL Draft Pick in 2010
“Tennessee prepared me a lot for the league -- the way we practiced, from an accountability standpoint and from a leadership standpoint. Coach Heupel practices like NFL teams. His motto is ‘we are going to be the fastest, freshest team on Saturday.’ Him moving me to the slot, for him to get the ball in my hands any type of way, that’s what they did by moving me to the slot. It showed how productive I am when the ball is touching my hands. It opened things up a lot. In his offense, you feel free and comfortable to make plays as a receiver.”
- Velus Jones Jr., 2022 NFL Draft Third Round Pick and 2021 SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year
“I think Josh Heupel today is the most innovative and creative offensive mind in college football. You saw that Saturday. You tell me — I thought I was watching (Patrick) Mahomes and (Josh) Allen last year in the playoffs. Eighteen seconds in college (to score). That's unheard of, what they manufactured. That was brilliant. That was unlike anything I've ever seen in college football in a generation.”
- Paul Finebaum, SEC Network on 2022 victory over Alabama
“The quick work Danny White and Josh Heupel have done—it is a validation of new leadership and new thinking and also a validation that Josh Heupel is a big time SEC coach and Tennessee is on the right trajectory after being on the wrong trajectory for about 15 years.”
- Pete Thamel, ESPN College GameDay
FB | Joey Aguilar & Mike Matthews Postgame at Mississippi State (9.27.25)
Sunday, September 28
FB | Josh Heupel Postgame Press Conference vs. Mississippi State (9.27.25)
Saturday, September 27
FB | Cinematic Recap vs. UAB (9.20.25)
Wednesday, September 24
FB | Braylon Staley Media Availability (9.23.25)
Tuesday, September 23
