Tennessee football: Comparing Josh Heupel’s fourth year of career to other Vols head coaches

Nov 6, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel motions to his team during the fourth quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 6, 2021; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel motions to his team during the fourth quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 9, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley coaches against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 9, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley coaches against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /

player. Scouting Report. 2010. Tennessee Volunteer. Derek Dooley. 10. Pick Analysis. 839

6-7 (3-5 SEC)

Music City Bowl

To be fair, Derek Dooley was two plays away from being about five spots higher on this list. Tennessee football hired Dooley after Lane Kiffin’s one year on Rocky Top, and Dooley showed up after three years and two losing seasons with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. However, going 8-5 in 2008 and a Nick Saban connection got him the job.

The level of attrition he inherited his fourth year as a head coach and his first year at UT was insane being the third head coach in three years. At 2-2 with losses to the Oregon Ducks and Florida Gators, his team thought it shocked the LSU Tigers on the road, but a retroactive substitution infraction gave LSU an extra play, and they scored a game-winning touchdown.

That began a slide in which the Vols fell to 2-6. However, then the schedule got easier, and Dooley threw in all the freshmen, most notably Tyler Bray. The spark resulted in UT rebounding to go 6-6 and reach the Music City Bowl. In that game, the North Carolina Tar Heels spiked the ball with too many men on the field so they could get a game-tying field goal.

There was no runoff at the time, so UNC took advantage. They tied it up and one in overtime. As a result, UT lost two games that year being on the opposite side of substitution infractions. They at least reached a bowl, but they should have been 8-5.