Tag: Heupel

Nov 9, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers defensive back Boo Carter (23) runs with the ball against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Saul Young/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel: DB Boo Carter still with team

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel confirmed Tuesday that star defensive back Boo Carter still is with the team.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported last week that Carter had missed “numerous” team activities and had been confronted by team leaders about the absences.

Heupel addressed the situation Tuesday during the Volunteers’ on-campus media day. Preseason practice begins on Wednesday, and the season opens Aug. 30 against Syracuse in Atlanta.

“Boo is a part of our team here,” Heupel said, per On3.com. “There’s some things he’s got to accomplish to get back on the field here. Don’t have a set timetable on that.

“Our leadership council has been a part of those things, those discussions, with me and with Boo. I’m proud of what they’ve done. They care and love Boo, and want him to be his best, too. And through this thing, I think Boo sees that as well.”

As a freshman in 2024, Carter contributed 38 tackles, one interception and one sack in 13 games. He also returned 12 punts for 198 yards, a 16.5-yard average.

–Field Level Media

Jul 15, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel talks to the media during SEC Media Days at Omni Atlanta Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

Tennessee looks forward, forgives QB lost to portal

Posted on | by Field Level Media

In a transfer portal plot gone wrong, Nico Iamaleava was not with the Tennessee Volunteers at SEC Media Days on Tuesday in Atlanta and head coach Josh Heupel flushed the majority of his thoughts on the matter — for the most part.

Heupel and Tennessee reloaded since the apparent negotiating ploy by Iamaleava was flipped into a farewell letter by the Vols. And at the end of the day, as Heupel says, the Vols are just fine with the way it turned out.

“Ultimately at the end of the day, it’s never about who’s not in your building but about who is in your building. For us, you can lose a quarterback at a lot of different times: December transfer portal, spring transfer portal. You can lose one week 1, first quarter of the ballgame in your opener, and now you’re on to number two through injury, right? You’ve got to have the next-man-up mentality,” Heupel said Tuesday.

“At the end of the day, having guys that want to compete along with their brothers inside of that locker room, building that connection, but also having the right guys in there. At the end of the day, I’m really excited about who we have in there. The addition of Joey to who’s already inside of that group, highly competitive guys that are smart, that have the physical traits to be successful. Teammates have grown to have great trust in those guys through the course of this off-season during the summer, and now it’s about getting to training camp and going and competing. Somebody is going to earn the opportunity to be our starting quarterback through that process.”

Heupel said expectations are unchanged even if his quarterback will be different. He also admitted losing Iamaleava was difficult “in that moment” for players.

Leadership, including from Heupel, opted for “immediate” and “transparent” communication with players about the decision to help them cope with the change and tried to answer any question for which he had answers.

Now he said he’s interested in finding answers in fall camp to questions with too many variables to answer six weeks before the season kicks off.

Joey Aguilar, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger and true freshman George MacIntyre are the competitors fighting to replace Iamaleava.

“We will have a competition at the quarterback position, three guys inside of that room, really proud of what they’ve done,” he said. “Joey, since he got there in May, Merklinger and George MacIntyre.”

Iamaleava gets a chance to tell his side of the story July 24 at Big Ten media days, but only if he chooses to do so. He reportedly received a $2 million per year NIL deal to transfer to UCLA. The former five-star recruit played 18 games at Tennessee. When he landed with the Bruins, it left Aguilar, who had transferred to UCLA, to go shopping for another new home.

When Tennessee starts the season in Atlanta against Syracuse on August 30, the Vols might have more than one quarterback in the mix.

“We’ve found a way to win with a lot of different quarterbacks throughout my career on the offensive side of the ball,” Heupel said. “We’re going to find a way to win with the guy that earns a starting spot as we go through training camp here in August.”

Aguilar, a transfer from Appalachian State, endeared himself to team leaders quickly. He impressed junior linebacker Arion Carter in practices and workouts as decisive and willing to take risks to make plays, even if there are some tremors felt around the Tennessee program by players closest to their former quarterback.

“Having a guy like that leave with such character and such poise was a hard thing to do. But nobody’s bigger than the program. We wish him the best where he is at. And I hope he has a great career and goes on to do great things,” Carter said Tuesday. “I feel it didn’t waiver from the agenda we had to step forward and do, especially with the new guys we have set, with the three quarterbacks in our room, with George, Jake and Joey.

“I feel we were able to crowd around those guys early and get those guys ready and prepare them over this course of these last few weeks. And these next few weeks going into fall and training camp for this 2026 season I feel very well where we’re standing, but we have a lot to do and a lot to prove still.”

Defensive tackle Nico Eason said he remains good friends with Iamaleava and wishes him “nothing but the best.”

“His decision was his decision. I’m still rooting for him,” Eason said. “I’m hoping everything goes his way. There’s no hate at all toward Nico.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel prior to the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

Former Sooner Josh Heupel leads No. 6 Vols against No. 15 Oklahoma

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A quarter-century ago, Josh Heupel was one of the centerpieces of Oklahoma’s football rebirth.

On Saturday, Heupel will be a piece of another significant milestone when his sixth-ranked Tennessee Volunteers take on the No. 15 Sooners in Norman, Okla.

Oklahoma will be playing its first league contest since joining the Southeastern Conference.

“It will be unique going back into that stadium,” Heupel said. “I have teammates and friends back there. It’s going to be a (different) viewpoint. I am not sure I spent a day on the opposing sideline inside the stadium — not even for a scrimmage.”

Heupel signed with the Sooners out of Snow College in Utah, not long after Bob Stoops’ arrival as Oklahoma’s head coach before the 1999 season.

The Sooners made their first bowl game in five seasons during Heupel’s first season. During his second, Oklahoma went undefeated and won the program’s seventh national championship. Heupel also finished runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting that season.

Brent Venables, now in his third season as the Sooners’ head coach, was Oklahoma’s co-defensive coordinator during Heupel’s time as a player.

Heupel was also a longtime assistant at Oklahoma under Stoops but was fired following the 2014 season. After stints at Utah State and Missouri, Heupel got his first head-coaching job at UCF, and he is in his fourth season as the Volunteers’ head coach.

Venables expects a strong reception for Heupel in Norman.

“There can’t be someone with a stronger legacy,” Venables said. “The first year, going 7-5, then out of nowhere to go 13-0 and several games within that year, Oklahoma was an underdog or had to come from behind in those games where you really felt Sooner Magic was reignited. And he was a catalyst of that. And people won’t forget that.”

The game is about much more than Heupel’s return or the Sooners’ introduction into the SEC.

Tennessee (3-0) comes in with one of the most powerful offenses in college football, having outscored its opponents 191-13.

Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava and Oklahoma’s Jackson Arnold were two of the top quarterbacks to come out of the 2023 class.

Iamaleava has completed 71.6 percent of his passes this season, and a strong run game in addition to that has helped the Volunteers average 693.3 yards per game.

“Man, what a talent,” Venables said of Iamaleava. “He’s just been fantastic. He’s got a great presence to him, he’s got a great supporting cast and a great defense.”

Saturday will be Iamaleava’s first true road game as the starter.

Oklahoma’s strength so far has been its defense.

The Sooners (3-0) are holding opponents to less than 265 yards per game and have forced 10 turnovers so far, tied for the nation’s best.

“They play really assignment sound,” Heupel said. “They understand where they’re supposed to be and recognizing patterns and getting into windows. They tie all three phases, all three levels of the defense in extremely well. And then when you have the ball in their hands, they’re extremely active.”

–Field Level Media

Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava (8) gets the snap during the NCAA College football game against NC State on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 in Charlotte, NC.

No. 7 Tennessee hesitant to pull reins on freshman QB

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No. 7 Tennessee revs up its offense for a final tuneup Saturday, one week before sending rising star quarterback Nico Iamaleava into the belly of the SEC beast at Oklahoma.

A freshman in terms of eligibility, Iamaleava has five touchdowns, two interceptions and 34th in the nation with 525 passing yards in his first two-regular season starts. He’s made multiple highlight-reel throws, zipping the ball through coverage. And a few mistakes, as former Oklahoma quarterback and current Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel knows all too well.

“At this level you’re going to have to throw into tight windows,” Heupel said. “Being open at this level of play, you’re going to have to be able to place the ball accurately. That comes from your fundamentals, from your eyes. You’ve got to know where you’re going. You’ve got to be on the same page — wide receiver and quarterback can be on page with one of them and then there’s protection.

“A couple of those maybe you’d like to have back. But you’ve got to be really careful pulling the reins on the quarterback. Nico, two games into this season and the bowl game, he’s had great command and control of the offense. Decision-making has been really solid. I’ve been really excited about his command of what we’re doing offensively.”

Heupel said protection “as a whole” has been solid but the offensive line is working out some areas of focus to get all 11 on offense working on the same timing.

“All of those things have to play off of each other. It takes all 11, doing the ordinary things at a really high level, to function the way that you want to,” Heupel said.

Reminding the team and media Tennessee is the home or “Reggie White, Al Wilson, Eric Berry,” Heupel said his defense continues to be focused on evolving as a physical and assignment-sound bunch.

“We’ve played really good football here the last few weeks,” Heupel said. “That was the point of emphasis on Monday morning as we came into the building. As a program, we want to play aggressive. There’s a lot of things that we continue to improve on and we need to. That’s the goal every day that we’re in this building.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 30, 2022; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel looks on after defeating the Clemson Tigers in the 2022 Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel receives rich extension through 2028

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Tennessee coach Josh Heupel received a contract extension through the 2028 season that will pay him $9 million annually plus incentives, the school announced Tuesday.

Heupel led the Volunteers to an 11-2 record last season and a No. 6 national ranking. Tennessee defeated Clemson 31-14 in the Orange Bowl as the Volunteers improved to 18-8 in Heupel’s two seasons.

Heupel, who turns 45 in March, becomes the sixth Southeastern Conference coach to make at least $9 million per season, joining Alabama’s Nick Saban ($11.7 million), Georgia’s Kirby Smart ($11.25 million), LSU’s Brian Kelly ($9.5 million), Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher ($9 million) and Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin ($9 million).

Overall, 11 coaches earn at least $9 million annually.

“The results over Josh’s first two seasons speak for themselves,” White said. “He and his staff have energized both our football program and our fan base with an aggressive brand of football, a competitive culture that creates leaders and a relentless approach to raising the bar every single day.

“Despite a brief period of dormancy, Tennessee never surrendered its status as a college football powerhouse. We just needed an innovative leader like Josh Heupel to reignite the spark. It’s been fun to crash the party, but as Josh said after our Orange Bowl triumph, the best is yet to come.”

Heupel was SEC Coach of the Year for 2022, a season in which Tennessee won its first eight games and was ranked No. 1 atop the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings.

According to reports, Heupel made $5 million in 2022.

Under the revamped deal, he will have a base salary of $225,000 and receiver $8.725 million in supplemental pay. He will receive a $1 million bonus if the Volunteers win the national championship and there are other performance-based clauses for bowl games, and top 5, 10 and 25 finishes.

“Our staff takes great pride in representing the Power T, and it’s something we never take for granted,” Heupul said in a news release. “We will continue to work tirelessly to build a championship program that all of Vol Nation and all (Vols For Life) can be proud of.

“Most importantly, our players are the people who deserve all of the credit for our resurgence on Rocky Top. Over the last two years, they believed in us and poured their energy into every single day with hard work, leadership, cohesiveness and consistent habits. I am proud to be their coach.”

Heupel’s contact calls for him to receive the full compensation package if he is dismissed without cause prior to Dec. 15, 2025. It drops to 75 percent from Dec. 15, 2025 to Dec. 14, 2027 and to 50 percent from Dec. 15, 2027 through the rest of the contract.

Heupel has a 46-16 record in five seasons as a head coach. He went 28-8 in three seasons at Central Florida (2018-20) before leaving for Tennessee, a program that had compiled losing records in eight of the previous 14 seasons.

–Field Level Media

Nov 14, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights head coach Josh Heupel watches from the sidelines during the first quarter against the Temple Owls at the Bounce House. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Reports: Tennessee picks UCF’s Josh Heupel as head coach

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Josh Heupel is set to become head coach at Tennessee.

According to multiple reports, Heupel accepted the position with the Volunteers from new athletic director Danny White, who hired Heupel at UCF. Heupel had not officially resigned from UCF as of Wednesday.

The news shifts the narrative in Knoxville, Tenn., where the program has been mired in controversy for weeks. Jeremy Pruitt was fired for cause Jan. 18 following an investigation summarized by university chancellor Donde Plowman as “serious violations of NCAA rules.”

Tennessee was 3-7 in 2020.

Since Philip Fulmer was fired in 2008, the Volunteers have hired six different coaches, including Heupel.

White was hired as Tennessee athletic director last week and used a search firm to conduct multiple interviews in a five-day span.

Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, Cincinnati coach Luke Fickell and Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck all discussed the job with White. The 42-year-old Heupel takes over after three seasons at UCF, where he replaced Scott Frost (Nebraska).

The former Oklahoma quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up went 28-8 at UCF.

–Field Level Media