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Josh Heupel has completed a feat no one imagined was possible when he was hired

ByColton Pickard|
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel celebrates after a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel celebrates after a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Tennessee Volunteers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Josh Heupel took over the Tennessee football program, the Vols were at one of their worst points in program history. 

The Vols finished with sub-.500 records in three of the previous four seasons, including one season with four wins and the 2020 season with three wins. 

At no point did anyone think Heupel would turn around the Vols program as quickly as he did. Heupel nearly doubled the number of wins of his predecessors over four years and completely turned around the football program. 

Tennessee was 20-27 in the four years before Heupel took over, and in Heupel's first four years, the Vols are 37-15. After the Vols' win over UAB, Heupel secured his 40th win at Tennessee with a 3-1 start to the season.

That is an amazing accomplishment over the span of just a little more than four seasons on Rocky Top. Heupel has won 40 games in a 56-game period, dominating many of the Vols' opponents along the way. 

Not only has he completely flipped the program, but Tennessee is consistently dominating its non-conference games for the first time in a long time. 

Since 2010, Tennessee has been lucky to win a non-conference game by a few touchdowns. During that same period, Tennessee only won two non-conference games by 30 points or more against FBS opponents. 

Heupel won two non-conference FBS games by 30 points or more in his first season and has now won 11 total by 30 points or more. He has also been a covering machine for sports bettors, which is something Tennessee seldom achieved before Heupel.

According to Bet Labs Sports, Heupel covered the spread in his last ten non-conference games before yesterday's win over UAB. That was unheard of, especially between the years of 2010 and 2020.

While Heupel just missed on covering the 38.5-point spread in the 56-24 win over UAB, he continues to dominate the smaller schools throughout his tenure at Tennessee, which is something Tennessee fans did not expect to happen so quickly over Heupel's four-year period at Tennessee, coming off some of the worst football in program history. 

Tennessee now jumps into its SEC schedule with a date against 4-0 Mississippi State on Saturday. The undefeated Bulldogs will look for their SEC opener, while the Vols are looking for their first SEC win after falling to Georgia two weeks ago.

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