Tennessee has completely rebuilt its defensive coaching staff and support personnel this offseason. Since the end of the regular season, it’s been one wave of news after another with new hires coming into the program, and it looks like the Vols aren’t done yet. Another addition appears to be on the way, continuing the busy and aggressive overhaul of the staff.
Josh Heupel gets massive boost as fan favorite LB returns to Tennessee instead of the NFL Draft
Just moments after the national championship, Tennessee has poached a pivotal Indiana staff member. Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports has reported that Tennessee is expected to hire Indiana’s Derek Owings as its new head strength and conditioning coach. Plus, Owings is now the highest-paid strength and conditioning coach in college football history with a salary of $1.2 million per year, according to Zenitz.
Tennessee is expected to hire Indiana’s Derek Owings as its new head strength and conditioning coach job, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 20, 2026
Set to be a notable win for Josh Heupel. The 32-year old Owings has been an important behind the scenes figure these past two years at Indiana. pic.twitter.com/YqAxLKg7Nj
Tennessee will be bigger, faster, and stronger in 2026
Josh Heupel is at it again, making another splashy move as Tennessee continues to build and reshape its coaching staff. Heupel has been aggressive all offseason, and this latest addition is just more proof that the Vols are serious about upgrading every level of the program.
I mean, you can't complain about hiring a coach who just won the biggest prize in all of college football. If you have seen Indiana play this year, they were an extremely fast and physical team that played with an edge. Owings was a big part of that. Zenitz also mentioned that last offseason, Lincoln Riley and USC made a run for Owings and weren't successful, further proving that he's a hot commodity in coaching circles.
With the addition of Jim Knowles and now Owings the defense will especially benefit from this development. I'm specifically looking forward to seeing the linebackers next fall. Amare Campbell, Arion Carter, and Edwin Spillman all look primed to take a big leap in 2026. They should thrive in the new defensive system in place and a revamped strength and conditioning program, the pieces are there for all three to unlock another level to their game.
If Indiana can climb all the way to the top, there’s no reason Tennessee can’t do the same. Josh Heupel sees that blueprint clearly, and you can bet he’ll do everything in his power to put the Vols in position to be the ones holding that trophy sooner rather than later.