Tennessee has always been a premier job in college football, but before Josh Heupel arrived it was a rocky stretch in Knoxville. Since he got there, he has brought Tennessee back to a nationally respected program with the ability to compete for championships winning 45 games in five seasons. Sure, the Vols aren't at the 1998 level yet, but the program has been on an upward trend since Heupel's arrival, which has resulted in an extension.
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He took over a program that hadn’t won double-digit games since 2007 and won 11 games in his second year. While Tennessee hasn’t reached truly elite status in college football, Heupel has turned the program around significantly, and that matters.
Despite Heupel’s strong track record so far, Josh Pate ranked him No. 9 in the SEC in his coaching rankings, which seems questionable.
Updated SEC Head Coach Rankings pic.twitter.com/n7hHeK4ccF
— Josh Pate (@JoshPateCFB) June 22, 2026
Josh Heupel was disrespected with his ranking
Does Josh Heupel have room to grow? Certainly. In fact, he has underdelivered in some ways at Tennessee. Heupel won eight games after making the College Football Playoff last year, and the Vols have dealt with numerous distractions involving Nico, Boo Carter, and now Chaz Coleman. On the other hand, he has done more than every coach in Knoxville since Phillip Fulmer and then some.
He made the playoffs with a young quarterback and a really good defense. The offense in Knoxville is consistently among the best in the nation, which directly reflects Heupel’s impact. Sure, he has not yet gotten over the hump against Georgia and Ohio State-level programs, but Tennessee has proven it is no longer a stepping stone.
I like Pate a lot and respect his opinion, but this one is off. Clark Lea ahead of Heupel? Really? Lea has done a decent job at Vanderbilt, but even with a Heisman quarterback and arguably the best team in school history, they didn’t make the playoffs. One good year shouldn’t have him ahead of Heupel, who has built a steady and consistent program at Tennessee.
Heupel averages nine wins a year in the SEC, which includes Tennessee also having some tough non-conference games as well. I’m not arguing that Heupel is at Kirby Smart’s level, but it feels like having him in the lower tier of coaches isn’t fair. Eli Drinkwitz has done a solid job at Missouri, but he has 46 wins, which is just one more than Heupel, despite having one more year at Missouri. Venables at Oklahoma has also consistently underachieved, and that doesn’t make sense to me either. There are fundamental flaws with this list.
At the end of the day, what Heupel has done so far doesn’t matter unless he wins the conference or makes noise in the playoffs. He has recruited well and put players into the NFL while also being arguably the best coach in the last 20 years at Tennessee. The only way to stop being slighted in these rankings is to prove it where it matters. Until then, it’s tough to complain, but he does have a roster this season that can overcome a lot of doubt.
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