Josh Heupel keeps climbing the Tennessee ladder, and the latest step is a meaningful one: with the Vols off to a 2-0 start in 2026, he has moved past Doug Dickey for sixth place on the program’s all-time wins list.
Heupel is now 47-20 since arriving in Knoxville in 2021. Tennessee Athletics says that record includes a perfect 17-0 mark against opponents with a record below .500.
The path to this point has been steady and, at times, sharply upward. Tennessee went 7-6 in Heupel’s first season, then followed with an 11-2 run in 2022. The Vols finished 9-4 in 2023, 10-3 in 2024, and 8-5 in 2025 before opening this season with wins over Furman and Georgia Tech.
Only five Tennessee coaches sit ahead of Heupel now: Gen. Robert Neyland at 173 wins, Phillip Fulmer at 151, Johnny Majors at 117, Bill Battle at 59, and Bowden Wyatt at 49. Heupel needs three more victories this season to pass Wyatt and move into fifth on the school’s all-time list, which would also make him the fifth coach in Tennessee history to reach 50 wins.
The early returns in Knoxville have stood in stark contrast to the years that came before him. Jeremy Pruitt finished with 16 wins, Butch Jones with 34, Derek Dooley with 15, and Lane Kiffin had seven in his lone season in 2009. Heupel’s .701 winning percentage is the best Tennessee has seen since Phillip Fulmer’s .744.
Heupel has also helped Tennessee regain ground in some of its biggest rivalries. The Vols ended long losing streaks against Alabama in 2022 and in Gainesville against Florida in 2025. He’s also beaten Alabama, Florida, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and South Carolina multiple times.
Tennessee Athletics also notes that “Josh Heupel owns a 23-4 record against non-conference opponents, including a 21-1 mark in the regular season with 20 consecutive regular season non-conference victories. In each of those 22 regular season contests, Heupel’s teams have put up at least 30 points.”
The No. 15 Vols return to action Saturday night with a non-conference matchup against Kennesaw State at Neyland Stadium.
In Other News...
Faizon Brandon Passed Tennessees First Road Test Now Comes The Real Challenge
Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon handled his first road start with the kind of calm Tennessee could reasonably ask for, helping the Volunteers leave Georgia Tech with a 45-24 victory. Brandon completed 10 of 21 passes for 148 yards and two touchdowns, added 22 rushing yards and, most importantly for a young quarterback in a tough setting, kept the game under control without turning the ball over.
Now the test gets more interesting. Brandon has already shown he can navigate a hostile environment and make enough plays to back up the rest of Tennessee's talent, but the next stretch will ask for more than poise and caution. For a quarterback still settling into the job, the challenge is no longer simply surviving a road game. It's doing it again, with teams starting to adjust. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees First Road Win Still Left Vols Fans With One Concern
Tennessee left Bobby Dodd Stadium with its first road win of the season and a 45-24 result that gave the Vols a 2-0 start, but the box score still told a story of a team easing into its identity. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon helped settle things early enough, and Tennessee spent much of the middle stretch of the game in control while both sides of the ball found a groove away from home.
Even so, the finish left a familiar unease for fans who watched Georgia Tech keep pressing late. Tennessee backed off into a more conservative approach as the Yellow Jackets tried to chip away at the margin, and for a moment it felt like the game might get tighter than it had any business being. The Vols still handled the comeback push, but the way the closing minutes unfolded offered a reminder that there is still a little polishing left to do. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Heupel Sent Tennessee Fans A Message After Atlanta Takeover
Tennessee walked into Atlanta and found a familiar feel waiting for it, with a heavy orange presence in the stands helping turn a road game into something closer to a showcase. The Volunteers handled Georgia Tech 45-24, and Josh Heupel made a point of acknowledging the fan support afterward, a nod to the kind of traveling base that can change the tone of an early-season game.
On the field, the Vols had plenty to build on as well. Freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon made his second career start and threw two touchdown passes, while DeSean Bishop and DeJuan Lane helped keep the offense moving and the game in Tennessees control. For a team trying to keep momentum rolling, the combination of on-field production and a packed contingent of supporters was about as clean a start as Heupel could have wanted. [Read more 🡒]