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Tennessee football hires Josh Heupel: Five reasons this could work

By Caleb Calhoun

Oct 19, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights head coach Josh Heupel watches the scoreboard during the second half against the East Carolina Pirates at Spectrum Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2019; Orlando, FL, USA; UCF Knights head coach Josh Heupel watches the scoreboard during the second half against the East Carolina Pirates at Spectrum Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 21, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; UCF Knights head coach Josh Heupel reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won 35-34. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; UCF Knights head coach Josh Heupel reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. Pittsburgh won 35-34. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Proven offensive mind

Get ready Vol Nation! Tennessee football may not win every game, but the Vols are about to score tons of points. That is one thing Josh Heupel knows how to do, and ever since he has been given full reigns to call offensive plays, he’s done just that.

Heupel’s first year as full-time offensive coordinator was with the Utah State Aggies in 2015. Matt Wells’ team went from averaging 26.9 points a game to 29 points a game. Okay, that’s a modest improvement. Well, look what he did with the Missouri Tigers the next two years. Mizzou went from averaging 13.6 points per game in 2015 to 31.4 in 2016 and then 37.5 in 2018.

Those improvements were dramatic enough, but then he went to the UCF Knights and took it to another level. All three years at UCF, his teams have averaged 42 points or more a game. When he loses, it’s not for lack of scoring.

Now, the UCF offense was already rolling under Scott Frost, to be fair. And detractors will bring up that he was fired as the Oklahoma Sooners co-offensive coordinator, a role he had from 2011 to 2014. However, he never got to call plays full-time at that point. Those two Mizzou years are what stand out. UT finally will have a fun offense on Rocky Top.

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