Tennessee hires Josh Heupel as head coach

Yahoo Sports College Reporter Pete Thamel gives you the latest on the Tennessee coaching situation as new AD Danny White has hired the same coach he hired at UCF, Josh Heupel. Heupel will step into a fire pit at Tennessee, as the program awaits possible sanctions from the NCAA.

Video Transcript

PETE THAMEL: The University of Tennessee has found its next football coach. As Yahoo Sports reported first this morning, Josh Heupel, the head coach at UCF has gone 28-8 over the last three years, will be the next coach at Tennessee. Athletic Director Danny White, who was hired less than a week ago, searched far and wide and then went back home. White had come to Tennessee from UCF and then hired Heupel, who he had previously hired there.

What Heupel does at Tennessee is he gives them an instant identity. There will be tempo, an aggressive offense, and distinct quarterback development. Heupel was Jordan Loves only FBS offer when he was the OC at Utah State. He also developed Drew Lock and he had some of his best years at Missouri when Heupel was the offensive coordinator there. He also coached Sam Bradford during his Heisman Trophy season at Oklahoma.

It's going to be a long slog for Heupel just to get Tennessee back to baseline functionality in the SEC. Jeremy Pruitt and former AD Phillip Fulmer have driven the program into a ditch and it's going to be a long taffy pull to get out of that ditch because of the uncertainty of potential NCAA sanctions hovering over the program. Heupel will bring identity, Heupel will bring quarterbacks, and Heupel will bring hope to a program that hasn't had it in recent seasons.