Derek Owings: Tennessee’s New Director of Football Sports Performance

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee football added a proven architect of elite performance to its staff on Tuesday as head coach Josh Heupel announced the hiring of Derek Owings as the program’s new Director of Football Sports Performance.

Owings arrives on Rocky Top with a championship résumé, most recently serving as a key figure in Indiana’s rise to national prominence. Working alongside head coach Curt Cignetti, Owings helped transform the Hoosiers from Big Ten cellar dwellers into a College Football Playoff champion.

Over his two seasons in Bloomington, Indiana he posted a 27–2 record, captured a Big Ten Championship, and earned two CFP appearances, one appearance just finished in Miami on Monday night with the National Trophy. 

“Tennessee is one of the most iconic brands in college football,” Owings said. “I’m thankful to Coach Heupel for believing in me, and I can’t wait to serve this program, this staff and most importantly, these players on Rocky Top.”

Championship Pedigree

Owings’ impact at Indiana extended beyond wins and losses. His holistic approach to sports performance emphasized speed development, injury prevention, recovery, and nutrition.

The result was one of the most dominant postseason runs in the modern era, including a victory over then-No. 1 Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship Game and three consecutive playoff wins en route to a national title. Indiana’s average margin of victory across its postseason contests was 25 points.

Prior to Indiana, Owings worked closely with Cignetti at James Madison (2020–23), guiding the Dukes through a successful transition from the FCS to the FBS level. During his four seasons in Harrisonburg, JMU compiled a 38–7 overall record, claimed Sun Belt East titles, and earned its first bowl berth in program history.

Owings’ development programs produced multiple conference Players of the Year, including Todd Centeio, Jalen Green, Cole Johnson, Mike Greene, and Jordan McCloud, along with numerous All-America selections and Top-25 finishes.

Reuniting With Heupel

The move to Knoxville reunites Owings with Heupel, whom he previously worked with at UCF in 2018. Serving as assistant director of sports performance, Owings helped guide the Knights to a 12–1 season, an unbeaten regular season, an AAC Championship, and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl.

Owings’ résumé also includes time at Texas Tech (2019–20) as associate strength and conditioning coach, graduate assistant work at Utah State, and internships at Mercer, Michigan, and Barwis Methods.

A former wide receiver and tight end at Mercer, Owings was an Academic All-SoCon selection and began his collegiate playing career at Eastern Michigan. He started his coaching career in 2016 as a Graduate Assistant at Utah State. 

Heupel’s Vision

“Physical and mental toughness is paramount in everything we do year-round as a program,” Heupel said. “No one understands this better at a championship level than Derek. He will elevate our strength and conditioning program with a relentless mindset and forge strong relationships with our players.

“He has a proven track record of utilizing modern training methods to maximize speed and strength while specializing in injury prevention and elite nutrition. We are thrilled to welcome Derek and his wife, Riley, to Rocky Top.”

Owings, the 2025 Football Scoop Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, will immediately integrate into Tennessee’s winter offseason program as the Volunteers continue building toward another championship pursuit.

We are excited to see what this 2026 team shares with us on The Players Lounge. Stay connected for more.