When Josh Heupel was hired by the Tennessee Vols in early 2021 to replace Jeremy Pruitt as the program's head coach, no one outside of Knoxville had much hope that the hire would work out (especially considering the disastrous situation Heupel inherited from Pruitt, which included massive scholarship reductions).
Heupel was viewed by the media as a coach who stepped into an ideal situation at UCF (taking over an undefeated team from Scott Frost) and found moderate success while running a "gimmicky" offense.
"That offense will never work in the SEC" was a common refrain heard from critics of Heupel.
Well, three years later and Heupel is 27-12 at Tennessee. And his "gimmicky" offense can claim wins against Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Florida, Kentucky, and a host of others.
So what's the secret to the quick and unexpected turnaround at Tennessee under Heupel?
Many will point to Heupel's offense (which has proved to not be a gimmick at all) as the top reason. And while it's true that Heupel's offense is tough to defend against, it's not like it's a big secret that no one understands. Heupel is far from the first coach to run a version of the veer-n-shoot offense. That offense started years ago at Baylor and numerous coaches have adopted a version of it over the last decade.
Others will point to the continuity of the coaching staff and the strong family-first culture that's been created by Heupel, his staff, and his players.
All of those things, combined, have helped Tennessee become a force again in the SEC. But none of those things are necessarily unique to Heupel and the Vols. Most programs around the country want a prolific offense, continuity on the coaching staff, and a strong culture.
So why has Heupel been more successful than most at cultivating those things?
It's simple -- it's because Heupel is an elite competitor. And that's not a phrase I use lightly. Heupel has an edge to him (he's got that dog in him). It's something he was praised for as a player at Oklahoma. And it's something he brings every day as the head coach at Tennessee.
Heupel wants to win -- badly. But that's true of almost every coach. Heupel, however, is making it a focus to only recruit "relentless competitors". When Heupel talks about recruiting to Tennessee's culture, most people probably think about the family atmosphere and the positive environment. And that's certainly a big part of it. But what Heupel really wants are players who are willing to compete at an elite level on every single rep (whether that's in practice, in the weight room, or on game day). Sometimes that might mean passing on an extremely talented player because they don't have that edge or that elite competitor mindset.
“Smart, tough, relentless competitors, love football, care about the people around them," said Heupel earlier this week when asked about what kinds of players Tennessee recruits. "Want to be great as a man, not just as a player. And are going to go chase it every day.”
That's not just a cliché saying from Heupel. It's what he lives by. And it's the single most important attribute that any player can have.
Championship teams are filled with elite competitors. It's not just the most talented team, it's the team with the talented players who are also dogs.
Over the last 20 years, it seems like the media, and some fans, have shifted into the mindset that analytics tell the story in sports. We're constantly inundated with new "stats" that are essentially meaningless. Analytics, models, algorithms, simulations, projections, rankings -- it's all meaningless when it comes to what actually happens on the field.
Somewhere along the way, we've lost the sense of what sports is really about -- competing with everything you have for every play of the game, every rep at practice, and every training session that no one sees. That's what competition is about. Not some numbers that someone entered into a spreadsheet to get a random stat with a way too long abbreviation that helps confirm the point they're trying to make. That's not where championships are won, and it's not where legends are made. That happens in the fourth quarter of a late-season SEC matchup when a player who might have been terrible for 55 minutes of the game comes up with the game-saving tackle despite being banged up and completely gassed. That's where stars are born.
And that's what Heupel is about. He's not the only coach in the nation that has that trait -- there are a lot of great competitors out there on the sidelines on each Saturday (Heupel just happens to do a great job of creating a culture where competition is embraced). I just think it's important that folks recognize the trait that is truly responsible for the quick turnaround at Tennessee.
Players make plays, not algorithms.
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