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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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COLUMBIA, MO – SEPTEMBER 9: Josh Heupel offensive coordinator of the Missouri Tigers watches during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, MO – SEPTEMBER 9: Josh Heupel offensive coordinator of the Missouri Tigers watches during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks and Missouri Tigers at Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) /

1. Experience coaching at schools in Vols’ situation

Everybody knows Tennessee football is in serious trouble. The Vols fired Jeremy Pruitt, and Phillip Fulmer retired, because of serious NCAA violations. There’s a good chance they’re about to go on probation because of those violations.

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Well, Josh Heupel has experience working at a program in complete disarray. When he joined the Missouri Tigers in 2016 under new head coach Barry Odom, that program was a disaster as well. No, it wasn’t going on probation, but the program looked like it was about to sink into irrelevancy given things that happened the previous year.

Longtime coach Gary Pinkel resigned after a 5-7 season. There were reports ahead of that year of a bad sexual assault culture at the program, which you can read about on ESPN here. However, the Missouri Tigers football team’s protest also broke in 2015. That protest led to the resignation of University of Missouri president Tim Wolfe.

That entire storyline combined with Mizzou being in the SEC and the Georgia Bulldogs about to re-emerge under Kirby Smart meant that it seemed like an impossible job. Well, Odom tapped Heupel as his offensive coordinator, and with Drew Lock, Heupel made it an attractive place to be again just one year later.

Next. Ranking Vols AD Danny White's top 10 coaching hires. dark

Missouri went 4-8 in 2016 but then went 7-6 in 2017 and finished the regular season on a six-game winning streak after a 1-5 start. It was all due to Heupel’s offensive mind. That experience will prove valuable with Tennessee football and is another reason this move could work out.

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