Tennessee’s Josh Heupel has built a résumé that most coaches would envy: a pair of double-digit win seasons, a College Football Playoff appearance and bowl wins in the Orange Bowl and Citrus Bowl. But when On3’s Crain and Cone stacked up SEC head coaches, they landed him in the bottom half of the league.
Heupel checked in at No. 9 in the conference, a spot that put him behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart, LSU’s Lane Kiffin, Texas’ Steve Sarkisian, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer, Oklahoma’s Brent Venables, Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz. He was placed ahead of Ole Miss’ Pete Golding, Florida’s Jon Sumrall, Auburn’s Alex Golesh, South Carolina’s Shane Beamer, Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby, Kentucky’s Will Stein and Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield.
The ranking came from the June 29, 2026 episode of On3’s show, and it sparked the kind of question that always follows a list like this: do you agree?
Heupel’s Tennessee run is now entering year six, and the record is hard to ignore. He’s 45-20 overall and 24-16 in SEC play, and in every season so far the Vols have reached either a bowl game or the playoffs.
The highs have been real. Tennessee went 11-2 in 2022, finishing 6-2 in the SEC and coming up just short of the four-team College Football Playoff. In 2024, the Vols posted a 10-2 regular season, again went 6-2 in league play, and made the playoffs before getting blown out at Ohio State on the road.
The tougher seasons are harder to pin down. Depending on how much weight you put on expectations, 2023 or 2025 could take that label.
In 2023, Tennessee finished 9-5 overall and 4-4 in the SEC, then beat Iowa in the Citrus Bowl. This past season ended at 8-5 with the same 4-4 league mark, followed by a Music City Bowl loss.
Now Heupel is heading into another reset of sorts. Tennessee is in the middle of a quarterback battle featuring Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre and Ryan Staub, and the staff will also look different on defense with Jim Knowles taking over as the new defensive coordinator.
In Other News...
Zakai Zeigler Just Earned Another Real Chance To Impress NBA Teams
After going undrafted, Zakai Zeigler took the route plenty of players in his spot do, heading overseas for a season in France to keep his game moving and his name in circulation. The former Tennessee guard now has another opening to show NBA evaluators what he can do, and it comes with a familiar feel for Volunteers fans because he is once again sharing a stage with some of his old college peers.
The timing matters for Zeigler, who has spent the past year trying to turn production and toughness into a real professional foothold. Summer league is often the kind of setting where a player can change the conversation quickly, and for Tennessee followers, the intrigue is obvious with multiple former Vols in the mix and a newly drafted teammate already set in place. Zeigler still has work to do, but he has landed the sort of chance that can keep a door open. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Insider Sparks Big Debate Over Vols Chase For Elite In-State RB
The race for David Gabriel Georges has become one of the more closely watched recruiting stories of the summer, and Tennessee is right in the middle of it. The highly rated 2027 running back has already taken official visits to Ohio State, Tennessee and Ole Miss, with the Buckeyes and Vols now widely viewed as the primary contenders as he nears a decision.
What has turned the conversation up another notch is the debate around what Tennessee should be willing to do to land him. Some around the sport see Georges as the kind of in-state talent worth pushing hard for, while others are openly wondering whether the Vols would be wiser to use their NIL resources at other premium spots on the roster. With a commitment expected on July 22, the recruiting stakes are high and the discussion is only getting louder. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Heupel Just Earned Huge SEC Praise As Tennessee Faces One Big Question
Josh Heupel keeps earning recognition for the part of Tennessee football that has defined his tenure, with Matrix Analytical recently slotting him as the SECs top offensive play caller. It is another reminder of how much the Volunteers have leaned into his system, and why the program still carries real confidence on that side of the ball as it moves toward the 2026 season.
The bigger issue is what comes next under center. Tennessee will open fall camp in August with a quarterback room still trying to sort itself out, and while the schedule brings the usual mix of nonconference tests and a nine-game SEC slate, the Vols ceiling will likely depend on how quickly that competition settles. Heupel has already pointed to the growth and daily response he has seen from the group, but the answer is still waiting to be written. [Read more 🡒]