Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel stands at No. 13 after reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024. He is just ahead of Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, and Kirby Smart. It left him in a lackluster position, but not necessarily on the hot seat. The glass is half empty and half full regarding Heupel’s three-year scorecard at Knoxville. In 2024, his offensive strategy didn’t bode well as it heavily struggled in the SEC play against top-tier teams like Alabama, Georgia, etc. An over-reliance on the passing game reportedly hurt them a lot at times. But apart from all the sensible debates, Heupel did almost everything he was brought to do by athletic director Danny White back in 2021. Heading into the crucial fourth year, a national analyst measures the pressure for the 46-year-old.

Heupel has done a whole lot for the program. Even if we can’t label him as the trailblazer of a new era in Knoxville, he can certainly be credited for adding some much-needed value to the frayed records. The veteran head coach got Tennessee out of the dry wasteland and started to produce some great recruits and some greater wins. While his 2022 team briefly ascended to No. 1 with a dominant, wire-to-wire showdown, 2024 capitalized on it with a playoff appearance. Now, if you ask if the next stop will be the semis or maybe winning an SEC championship or a Natty at its highest, it’s difficult to pinpoint. However, Heupel’s exceptional coaching skills have undoubtedly shifted the team’s trajectory towards success.