Tennessee football: Josh Heupel is just what the Vols needed

The Tennessee Volunteers have hired UCF’s Josh Heupel as the team’s new head coach. 

It’s been a tumultuous offseason for the Tennessee Volunteers but fans have reason to be excited on Wednesday. That’s because the program has found a new head coach to replace the recently-fired Jeremy Pruitt.

The Vols announced UCF’s Josh Heupel as the football team’s new leader. Heupel had been in charge of the Knights since 2018, posting a 28-8 record. Now, he’ll look to get Tennessee back on track as a major player in the SEC.

The Tennessee Volunteers have hired Josh Heupel to replace Jeremy Pruitt

Heupel’s first year as head coach came in 2018, as he took over for Scott Frost at UCF. In that first year, UCF went 12-1 and played in the Fiesta Bowl, suffering a defeat to LSU. UCF then went 10-3 in 2019 and finished this past campaign going 6-4. Now, he’s headed to Knoxville and is fired up for his next stop.

“I am thrilled to be coming to Tennessee,” Heupel said via a Tennessee release. “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.”

Heupel joins Tennessee less than a week week after former UCF athletic director Danny White left the school to take the same job with the Vols. Obviously, White was quite familiar with Heupel and his work, making this hire that much easier for him and Tennessee as a whole. White replaced legendary Vol Phil Fulmer in running the athletic department.

Heupel is known as being an offensive-minded coach, which will surely be music to Vols’ fans’ ears. His first order of business will be to help Tennessee close out the 2021 recruiting class with a bang, as National Signing Day is on Wednesday, Feb. 3.

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