Josh Heupel isn’t just tweaking around the edges this offseason-he’s making foundational changes. After parting ways with the previous strength coach, Heupel brought in Derek Owings from Indiana to take over as Tennessee’s new Director of Football Sports Performance.
And now, with winter workouts underway, Owings has finalized his staff. The Vols’ performance department is officially reloaded.
Let’s break down the new lineup on Rocky Top and what each addition brings to the table.
Derek Owings - Director of Football Sports Performance
Owings steps into the lead role with a résumé that checks all the boxes: playing experience, a steady climb through the coaching ranks, and leadership roles at multiple programs. A former wide receiver at Eastern Michigan and Mercer, Owings understands the athlete’s perspective. His coaching journey has taken him from Utah State to UCF, Texas Tech, James Madison, and Indiana, where he most recently served as Director of Athletic Performance.
Owings brings a modern, data-informed approach to strength and conditioning, but he’s also known for building strong relationships with players. That balance of science and connection is exactly what Tennessee is hoping will elevate the program’s physical edge.
Carl Miller - Associate Director of Football Sports Performance
Miller, a Michigan native like Owings, brings over a decade of experience in strength and conditioning. His path has taken him from internships at Eastern Michigan and Wayne State to leadership roles at Mercer, Colorado State, and Wyoming. Most recently, he worked alongside Owings at Indiana.
Miller’s track record is rooted in consistency and development. He’s known for his attention to detail and ability to tailor training plans to individual athletes-something that becomes critical in a program with diverse positional demands. His familiarity with Owings’ system should help the staff hit the ground running.
Jason Wooding - Associate Director of Football Sports Performance
Wooding adds a strong mix of playing and coaching experience to the staff. A former linebacker and running back at Howard, he’s worked his way up through stops at Mercer, Houston, Texas Tech, and Maryland. His five-year stint at Maryland as Associate Director of Football Strength and Conditioning gave him experience in a Power Five environment, where he helped develop athletes for the next level.
Wooding’s background suggests he’ll be especially valuable when it comes to player leadership and toughness-two traits that can’t be coached on a whiteboard but are built day by day in the weight room.
Elijah Blackman - Assistant Director of Football Sports Performance
Blackman brings a unique perspective to the staff as a former college basketball player at Saint Leo. That multi-sport background gives him a broader lens on athletic development, and his coaching stops at South Carolina, Arkansas, Colorado State, and Kansas State have exposed him to a variety of training philosophies.
He’s known for his energy and ability to connect with athletes, and that matters in a high-intensity environment like Tennessee’s. Blackman will play a key role in helping players translate weight room gains to on-field explosiveness.
Drew Palmer - Assistant Director of Football Sports Performance
Palmer is one of the younger voices on the staff, but don’t mistake that for inexperience. He played tight end at James Madison and quickly transitioned into the coaching world, working at his alma mater and then Baylor. His academic background in kinesiology and exercise physiology gives him a strong foundation in the science behind performance training.
Palmer’s recent playing experience gives him a direct understanding of what today’s athletes need-especially at a position like tight end that demands both strength and agility.
Josh Huff - Director of Applied Performance Science
Huff’s role is a critical one in today’s data-driven era. As Director of Applied Performance Science, he’ll be tasked with integrating technology, analytics, and recovery strategies into Tennessee’s training program. His background includes time at James Madison, Mercer, and Indiana, where he served as Sports Science Coordinator.
Expect Huff to be the bridge between the strength staff and Tennessee’s sports medicine, nutrition, and analytics departments. His job is to make sure every rep, every lift, and every recovery session is optimized. It’s not just about lifting heavier-it’s about training smarter.
Katie O’Connor - Director of Football Nutrition
While not detailed in the release, O’Connor’s role is just as vital. Nutrition is the fuel behind every performance, and having a dedicated director in this space ensures Tennessee’s athletes are getting the right support off the field. Whether it’s meal planning, hydration strategies, or recovery nutrition, O’Connor will be a key player in the overall performance plan.
The Bottom Line
This is more than just a new strength staff-it’s a full-on overhaul of Tennessee’s performance infrastructure. From the weight room to recovery science to nutrition, Josh Heupel is clearly investing in every detail that goes into building a championship-caliber roster.
With a blend of experience, innovation, and cohesion-several of these coaches have worked together previously-this group is poised to bring a new level of intensity and professionalism to Rocky Top. And as any coach will tell you, games may be won on Saturdays, but they’re built in the offseason. Tennessee just made a big bet that this staff can build something special.