Main Character Era on Rocky Top

Oct 22, 2024

I said early on in my coverage this season–dating back to the spring and summer camps–this Tennessee coaching staff was primed to be the ‘main character’ in a year where we will all remember the Vols. 

I noticed it almost instantly, from the first presser of the season. I’ve watched it in Anderson and at practice availability. I’ve now seen it live on Gameday. 

Not much has changed  as we now approach a historical moment for not just college football but also the Volunteers of Tennessee. 

What we know in college football has been said all season, anything can happen. Each time Coach Josh Heupel takes the mic to address the media room, many of the same ‘mindset’ things have been repeated. 

• He’s just happy to get a win on any given Saturday. 

• A true competitor takes the wins and loses and gets better regardless of the outcome.  

It is exactly what this Vol football team has done under the direction of the former undefeated National Champion. Just based on paper, comparing him to the success of General Robert R Neyland is becoming a trending topic for fans. 

This Vols football team is the only team in the SEC conference history that has had four games in the same season with 50+ points scored while allowing 10 or fewer. 

Why is he the main character? Is it the backwards hat? Is it the heartland of Americana roots?  

The tangible here is that Coach Heupel has done something special in Knoxville in just four years. He is the narrative. He will tell you it’s players and the people in the building. We all know it still takes a Head Coach to win ballgames. 

Back in 2021, not many people were fans of his hiring. It does not take a deep dive to see that the reactions were negative, and the gauntlet was thrown. Slowly, we washed the muck off the Power T from previous head coaches, and a fresh, clean culture began. This type of leadership can only come from an All-American coach’s kid.

Some of my favorite live reactions to his hiring: 

More favorites to reference here: 

Now he’s tattooed on the legs and in the hearts of a fan base that was thirsty to bring back the tradition of the Volunteers. 

Only two head coaches in Vol football history have ever beaten rivals Bama and Florida at home in back-to-back efforts. General Neyland was one of them. However, only Heupel can be named as the Vol football head coach to win those games twice in his first four years. 

Again, stats are always just on paper. But the record book is on paper, too. Now the wheels are in motion for Coach Heupel to bring a real threat for a national title to Knoxville, Tennessee. Just give him a chance. Win or lose, he is a competitor, and the competition is what makes this game of college football so magical. 

You can hear more about his family, his favorites around town, and other aspects of his personal life with the sit-down interview on TPL between Coach and VFL Letterman Joshua Dobbs. Like other current Head coaches of the University of Tennessee, he loves the view in Knoxville.  

Watch the full sit-down with Coach and Dobbs on The Players Lounge Tennessee here: 

The loss at Arkansas was a wake up call to Vol nation. A confident team was not playing the style of football they had prepared to be. No one took the loss harder than Coach. Heupel took the podium to hold himself accountable and with the well established mantra of: Flush it, a win or a loss. it’s next game up. This loss haunts the 10-2 regular season schedule. The Vols would arguably be in Neyland for round 1, without this week of mistakes. 

Now, Coach looks down the barrel of a loaded end to the 2024 season. One game in Ohio, and the rest will be history. Is that enough to solidify his character in the story? I say he already has. He’s not the Tony V of football for the Vols. He’s the Josh Heupel of college football. A winner who defines success with his consistency for the program and the game that he loves. He has earned the chance to tell the story from here.