STAFF
JOSH HEUPEL | HEAD COACH
Former national champion quarterback Josh Heupel took the reins of Tennessee football in 2021 and has guided the proud program to a national resurgence. The 2022 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year and two-time National Coach of the Year finalist was officially announced as the Volunteers’ 27th head football coach on Jan. 27, 2021, by Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White, who he worked alongside at UCF.
On Jan. 24, 2023, White announced a contract extension for Heupel through January 2029.
Heupel owns a stellar 55-20 overall record (.733) and a 34-15 (.694) conference mark in six seasons as an FBS head coach. His 55 victories since the start of the 2018 season are top eight nationally, and he is one of only four active FBS head coaches to lead multiple programs to New Year’s Six Bowl appearances in the College Football Playoff era. His teams have earned bowl berths all six seasons and finished in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense and total offense five times. The son of a successful head coach, Heupel has studied the game his entire life and reached the pinnacle of the sport as both a player and assistant coach.
The 44-year-old has coached and played in multiple national championship games, won eight conference championships, coached in 19 bowl games, developed two Heisman Trophy winners and five top-five Heisman finishers. He ranks top 10 nationally among head coaches in NFL Draft picks produced in the last three drafts combined with 15.
The 2024 season will be his seventh as a head coach and fourth in charge of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Tennessee Turnaround
Taking over a program coming off a 3-7 season and the departure of several players prior to his arrival, Heupel instilled a strong culture built on trust, accountability and relationships. He combined those pillars with the nation’s top offense and an attacking defense.
In three seasons, Heupel’s remarkable revival of the Volunteers has seen him produce a 27-12 overall record, eight victories over Top 25 teams, the program’s first New Year’s Six berth in the College Football Playoff era and back-to-back top-20 poll finishes. The eight ranked wins are sixth nationally among FBS head coaches during that span and are the second-most by a UT coach through the first 39 games of a career. Heupel’s .692 winning percentage is the second-highest by a Vol coach in the last five decades. His 27 wins are the third-most by a UT coach through his first three seasons, trailing only Bill Battle (31 from 1970-72) and Phillip Fulmer (29 from 1993-95).
Heupel has guided Tennessee to its winningest two-year stretch (20) since 2003-04, and the 20 victories over that span are tied for the third-most in the SEC. Having to replace much of their offensive firepower in 2023 and in a season filled with key injuries, the Volunteers still won nine games, finished No. 17 in both the Associated Press and AFCA Coaches polls and dominated Big Ten West champion, No. 17 Iowa, 35-0, in the program’s first Citrus Bowl appearance in two decades on New Year’s Day 2024. It marked the Vols’ first shutout victory in a bowl game since beating Texas A&M, 3-0, in the 1957 Gator Bowl. Tennessee was the only SEC program during the 2023 bowl season to shutout an opponent. Three of the Vols’ four losses were versus teams who finished in the top eight of the final polls.
Heupel joined Battle and Fulmer as the only three coaches in program history to lead UT to bowl berths in each of their first three seasons. In 2023, Heupel leaned on a rushing attack that led the SEC and ranked ninth in the FBS, averaging 204.8 yards per game. It was the first time since 1999 that the Vols led the SEC in rushing offense. UT also went over the 2,500-yard rushing mark for the third straight season for the first time in program history. Defensively, the Vols finished in the top 25 nationally in six different categories, including an SEC-best 101 tackles for loss.
Heupel’s Vols entered the 2022 campaign unranked, but they quickly made their mark. A thrilling 34-27 overtime road victory at No. 17 Pittsburgh set the stage for an epic three-game stretch that will forever live in Tennessee lore. With ESPN College Gameday on hand for the first time since 2016, the Vols beat rival Florida, 38-33, before throttling eventual SEC West champion LSU, 40-13, in Baton Rouge on Oct. 8. The victory was Tennessee’s largest in the series since 1940.
ESPN College Gameday returned for the second time in four weeks, this time for The Third Saturday in October matchup against Alabama. The Vols took down the No. 3/1 Crimson Tide, 52-49, on Chase McGrath’s 40-yard field goal as time expired that sent off a celebration for the ages with 11.6 million viewers tuning in, which represented the third-most for a college football regular season game all year.
Tennessee put up 567 yards of total offense and tallied 52 points—the most allowed by Alabama in a game in the SEC era (since 1933) and the most allowed in any game since surrendering 54 to Sewanee on Oct. 21, 1907. Wide receiver Jalin Hyatt tied an SEC record and set a school mark with five receiving touchdowns, while quarterback Hendon Hooker became a hero, throwing for 385 yards and engineering a two-play drive in the final 14 seconds to set up the game-winner.
Two weeks later, the Vols donned “Dark Mode” uniforms with black helmets and dominated No. 19/17 Kentucky, 44-6, in ESPN primetime, catapulting UT to an 8-0 start. The rapid start ascended the Vols to No. 1 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings released on Nov. 1, giving UT its first top poll position since the 1998 national championship season. Heupel joined College Football Hall of Famers Phillip Fulmer, Bowden Wyatt and General Robert Neyland to lead the Vols to a No. 1 national ranking all-time.
Tennessee secured its first 10-win regular season since 2003 with Heupel becoming just the third Vol coach in the last 60 years to achieve that feat in his first or second season (Bill Battle, Fulmer). Meanwhile, Neyland Stadium returned to glory, drawing six sellouts for the first time since 2007 with the Vols posting an undefeated 7-0 home mark.
Heupel led Tennessee to its first Capital One Orange Bowl appearance in 25 years. With a predominantly pro-UT crowd in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium, the Vols beat ACC champion Clemson, 31-14, to claim its first Orange Bowl trophy since 1939. The triumph gave Tennessee its first 11-win season in over two decades as Heupel became just the fifth coach in school history to reach that mark, joining Fulmer, Johnny Majors, Battle and Neyland. Heupel did it against a brutal schedule that ranked fourth nationally.
The Vols concluded 2022 No. 6 in both the Associated Press and USA Today AFCA Coaches polls, representing their highest finish since 2001. Tennessee defeated four foes in the final AP Top 25, which was the second-highest total among teams in the final poll. The team finished with six wins over ranked teams, tying the 1998 squad for the most in program history.
For his efforts, Heupel was tabbed the 2022 AP SEC Coach of the Year and a finalist for the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the George Munger Award presented by the Maxwell Football Club. Heupel was the recipient of the AFCA’s Region 2 Coach of the Year, and he captured the fan vote for the Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Under Heupel’s leadership in 2022, the Vols led the nation in scoring offense (46.1), total offense (525.5), passing efficiency (181.4) and total touchdowns (79) for the first time in school history. UT was also tops in the SEC in tackles for loss per game (7.2), while ranking second in the league in rushing defense (115.8).
A year after breaking eight team single-season records, Tennessee shattered 15 program marks during the 2022 campaign. Heupel’s offensive unit rewrote the annals in total points (599), points per game, total offense (6,832), total offense per game, yards per play (7.2), total touchdowns, passing touchdowns (38), rushing touchdowns (40), completion percentage (68.7), passing efficiency, passing yards (4,239), fewest interceptions thrown (3) and first downs (330).
Player development has been evident in the Heupel era. Ten Vols have been selected in the last two NFL Drafts, putting Heupel top-eight nationally in draft picks during that span. The 2023 NFL Draft saw Tennessee produce five selections through the first three rounds, representing the second-most in the nation. Four of those five came on the offensive side of the ball. The four offensive picks through the first three rounds tied for the most in the country.
Darnell Wright was the highest drafted offensive lineman in the SEC and second highest overall going No. 10 to the Chicago Bears in the 2023 first round. Hooker (Detroit Lions), Hyatt (New York Giants), wide receiver Cedric Tillman (Cleveland Browns) and edge rusher Byron Young (Los Angeles Rams) were all chosen in the third round. Tennessee was the only program in the nation with multiple wide receivers selected through the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft.
In 2022, defensive back Alontae Taylor was selected in the second round (New Orleans Saints), and Velus Jones Jr. went in the third round (Chicago Bears). Defensive lineman Matthew Butler went off the board in the fifth round (Las Vegas Raiders), offensive lineman Cade Mays was tabbed in the sixth round (Carolina Panthers), and defensive back Theo Jackson went to his hometown Tennessee Titans in the sixth round.
Heupel mentored Hooker, who swept the 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year awards as selected by the coaches and Associated Press. He compiled 3,565 yards of total offense and 32 total touchdowns, while finishing second in the nation in passing efficiency (175.51). The signal caller shattered school records in passing efficiency, consecutive games with a touchdown pass (20) and single-season completion percentage (69.6).
Hooker secured the highest Heisman Trophy finish by a Vol in 25 years with fifth place, and he was a finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Meanwhile, Hyatt became the first player in school history to claim the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver in 2022. He earned the prestigious honor of becoming the 13th unanimous first-team All-American in UT history and the first since College Football Hall of Famer Eric Berry in 2009. Hyatt broke the school record for single-season receiving touchdowns with 15, a mark that led all Power Five players.
A total of 10 Vols have earned All-SEC honors under Heupel’s watch, including a 2023 season that saw defensive end James Pearce Jr., center Cooper Mays and running back Jaylen Wright receive laurels. Wright capped his career becoming the first 1,000-yard rusher for the Vols since 2015, and he did it quicker than any player in school history. His 7.39 yards per carry led all FBS running backs in 2023. Four Tennessee players earned first-team All-SEC recognition from the league’s coaches in the fall of 2022—Hyatt, Hooker, Wright and Young. The four selections were the most for the program since 2006.
Heupel’s revival of the Vols began in 2021. Picked to finish fifth in the SEC East, Heupel guided Tennessee to a 7-6 first-year campaign, including a 4-4 mark in conference play to take third place in the division. The Vols beat six teams by at least 24 points, and Heupel became just the fifth UT head coach in the last 80 years to win seven or more games in his debut season.
Of the eight first-year Power Five head coaches in 2021, no coach won more regular season games than Heupel. That feat came against a schedule ranked among the top five in college football according to the ESPN FPI.
For his efforts, Heupel was tabbed by the Football Writers Association of America as the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award winner for the second time in his career. He was the first coach to win the honor multiple times since its inception. Tennessee earned a Music City Bowl appearance, and Heupel became the fifth Vol coach in the last 70 years to lead the Vols to a bowl in his debut season.
Under his leadership, Tennessee’s offense enjoyed the most significant improvement of any FBS team. The Vols jumped 99 spots in scoring offense in the FBS rankings, going from 108th in the country in 2020 to seventh in 2021, while averaging 39.3 points per game, a mark that ranked second in modern school history. Tennessee also leaped 93 spots in total offense, averaging a stellar 474.9 yards per game, which ranked ninth in the FBS.
Heupel quickly developed Hooker into one of the nation's most complete quarterbacks. In his first season, Hooker led the SEC and ranked third nationally in passing efficiency en route to being a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien Award, Tennessee’s first since 2006.
The Vols’ on-field success has correlated in the classroom as Tennessee has shattered the program record for GPA in three consecutive fall semesters under Heupel. The fall of 2023 saw the Vols produce a program-record 63 SEC Academic Honor Roll recipients, representing the second-most in the SEC.
A total of 133 UT players have garnered SEC Academic Honor Roll accolades in three seasons under Heupel, and the program produced two College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Americans in 2021 with specialist Paxton Brooks and Butler earning first and second team distinctions, respectively. Brooks repeated the honor in 2022.
Heupel emphasized the holistic development of the student-athlete and enhanced the team's player development staff. The group focuses on year-round programming geared toward preparing the Vols for personal, academic and leadership success, as well as community engagement efforts.
Heupel’s trust and personality have flourished in recruiting as well. Despite the many obstacles he inherited, he assembled back-to-back elite signing classes and proved that transfers could become instant impact players in his system. His top-10 Class of 2023 featured three of the top 50 signees in the country according to On3.com, including the nation’s No. 1 player in quarterback Nico Iamaleava of Long Beach, California. Iamaleava capped his true freshman season earning 2024 Citrus Bowl MVP honors in his first career start.signees in the country according to On3.com, including the nation’s No. 1 player in quarterback Nico Iamaleava of Long Beach, California.
Knight Lights
Heupel’s arrival in Knoxville came after a triumphant three-year head coaching stretch at UCF, an era that saw the Knights reaffirm themselves as one of college football’s most exciting teams. UCF owned a 28-8 overall record and an outstanding 20-5 mark in conference games under his watch, while shattering a program record for NFL Draft picks.
Heupel was the architect of a unit that ranked in the FBS top 10 in points per game in each of his three seasons—eighth in 2020 (42.2), fifth in 2019 (43.4) and sixth in 2018 (43.2). The Knights also ranked in the top five in the FBS in total offense per game in each of those three seasons—second in 2020 (568.1), second in 2019 (540.5) and fourth in 2018 (522.7).
Under Heupel's watch, UCF was the only team in the FBS to rank among the top five in total offense in each of those three seasons (2018-20), and the Knights were the only program in the nation to average at least 522.7 yards of total offense in each of those years as well. UCF joined Alabama as the only teams to rank among the top eight in the country in passing in each of his last two seasons (2019-20).
Heupel was tabbed as head coach at UCF in December 2017 by White and promptly became one of only three coaches in college football history to lead a team to an undefeated regular season in his first year with them (Chris Petersen at Boise State in 2003 and Larry Coker at Miami in 2001 also accomplished that feat).
In 2018, his squad posted a 12-1 overall record and an 11-0 regular season mark en route to capturing the American Athletic Conference championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl. He led UCF to as high as seventh in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches poll, marking the highest regular-season rankings in program history. The Knights finished the year ranked No. 11 in the AP and No. 12 in the Coaches’ poll.
As a result, Heupel won the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award, and he was a finalist for the Associated Press National Coach of the Year Award, the Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award and the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award.
Preaching a 1-0 mentality every week, Heupel’s up-tempo 2018 offense posted 43.2 points per game that ranked sixth in the nation with an average margin of victory of 20.5 points. The Knights’ ground game set a program single-season record with 3,448 yards that same season as UCF averaged 265.2 yards rushing per game, which was eighth in the country.
Running back Greg McCrae in 2018 became UCF’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2013 with 1,182 yards on the ground, fourth most in program history. The passing attack in 2018 was one of the best in the nation behind quarterbacks McKenzie Milton and Darriel Mack Jr. UCF averaged 257.5 yards per game and 29 touchdowns that year, including 14.94 yards per completion, which was the ninth-best mark in the country. The quarterbacks posted the 21st-best passing efficiency mark of 149.71, while throwing just seven interceptions, representing the fewest by a UCF team in program history.
Not to be outdone, the UCF defense provided an outstanding 2018 campaign. The Knights allowed just 22.7 points per game and ranked sixth in the nation with 28 forced turnovers on the year. UCF racked up 8.2 tackles for loss per game, fifth most in the nation, and had 29 sacks.
UCF’s success continued in Heupel’s second season as the Knights produced a 10-3 overall record, culminating with a 48-25 blowout victory over Marshall in the 2019 Gasparilla Bowl. UCF finished the season ranked No. 24 in both the Associated Press Top 25 and Amway Coaches polls. The Knights also produced a perfect home-field record for the second straight year.
In 2019, UCF averaged 43.4 points per game, good for fifth in the FBS, and won their games by an average of 20.4 points. The Knights owned the fewest turnovers (15) of any team in the AAC that same year. True freshman signal-caller Dillon Gabriel produced a 29-to-seven touchdown pass-to-interception ratio, threw for 3,653 yards (13th nationally), averaged 15.48 yards per completion (fourth in the nation) and rated 13th in efficiency at 156.9 under Heupel’s guidance.
UCF’s 2019 defense led the nation in tackles for loss at 9.0 per game while permitting only 23.0 points. The Knights also ranked fifth in the country in third-down defense (.293 conversion rate) and third in pass efficiency defense.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, UCF set all-time single-season program per game records for total offense (568.1) and passing yards (357.4) in 2020 while earning a berth in the Boca Raton Bowl.
On the defensive side, Heupel’s squad led the FBS in recovered fumbles in 2020 with 13, while ranking sixth in total turnovers forced (22). The Knights also ranked 28th in tackles for loss (7.1 per game) and 38th in sacks (2.6).
Heupel’s track record of developing NFL talent was clear at UCF. A program-record five Knights were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, shattering the previous mark of four in 2003 and 2018. That tally ranked 11th among all programs nationally and was equal to or better than nine SEC teams.
Grant went 40th overall to the Atlanta Falcons in the second round, while Aaron Robinson was picked 71st overall by the New York Giants in the third round. In addition, Jacob Harris was tabbed 141st to the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round, Tay Gowan was taken 223rd overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round, and Tre Nixon went 242nd overall to the New England Patriots in the seventh round.
This came a year after wide receiver Gabriel Davis was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Davis has become one of the league’s premier playmakers. In a 2021 NFL playoff divisional round game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Davis logged a career-high 201 receiving yards on eight catches and scored an NFL-record four receiving touchdowns. He became just the ninth player in NFL history to record 200+ receiving yards in a playoff game.
Off the field, Heupel’s programs were equally impressive. The Knights had 43 players selected to the 2018-19 AAC All-Academic Team. UCF also won a 2019 NCAA Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award as its four-year 984 APR figure for football ranked it among the top 10 percent of schools in that sport.
SEC Impact
Heupel was no stranger to putting up big offensive numbers in the SEC. Prior to his successful run at UCF, he served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Missouri from 2016-17.
In 2015, prior to Heupel's arrival, Missouri ranked 124th in the nation in total offense (280.9). In Heupel’s first season of 2016, the Tigers led the SEC and ranked 13th nationally, averaging 500.5 yards per game. In 2017, Mizzou ranked eighth in the nation in total offense, averaging 502.2 yards per game. The Tigers were also 14th in the nation in scoring at 37.5 points per game.
Mizzou quarterback Drew Lock shined under Heupel's tutelage. Lock led the SEC in passing as a sophomore, throwing for 3,399 yards and 23 touchdowns. He followed that with an even stronger junior season in 2017, passing for 3,964 yards and a then-SEC record and nation-leading 44 touchdown tosses. Lock was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Heupel’s final season in Columbia saw the Tigers reel off six straight victories to close the season and earn a berth in the Texas Bowl. Mizzou won four SEC games highlighted by a 45-point performance by Heupel’s offense in a triumph over Florida.
Sooner Success
Heupel began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater of Oklahoma. He was on a coaching staff that reached back-to-back national championship games during the 2003 and 2004 seasons.
Heupel helped mentor Jason White to the Heisman Trophy in 2003. White threw for 3,744 yards and 40 touchdowns with just eight interceptions as the Sooners rolled to an undefeated regular season and a BCS title game berth in 2003. He was the Associated Press Player of the Year, a unanimous All-American, the consensus Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and the Davey O’Brien Award winner. In 2004, White left Oklahoma as its all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns.
Heupel spent the 2005 season as tight ends coach at Arizona before heading back to Oklahoma as a full-time assistant. He returned to his alma mater for the 2006 campaign and coached the quarterbacks for five seasons. Under Heupel’s tutelage in 2008, Sam Bradford won the Heisman Trophy, Davey O’Brien and Sammy Baugh Awards. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency that season, and the Sooners tallied an NCAA record five straight 60-point games.
Heupel was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2011 and served in that role for four seasons. His 2011 offense ranked fourth in the nation in total offense (512.3) and passing offense (349.4). The 2012 unit ranked fifth in the nation in passing (336.8) and 12th in total offense (498.6). In his final season with OU, the Sooners ranked second in the nation in fewest sacks allowed (9) and led the Big 12 and ranked 11th in the nation in rushing (261.2), as well as finishing 21st in the nation in scoring (36.4) and 23rd in total offense (464.7).
Following his time at Oklahoma, Heupel served as assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Utah State in 2015. Despite the loss of its starting quarterback to injury, Heupel’s unit improved from 81st nationally to 60th in scoring offense.
National Champion Quarterback
Heupel was a national championship-winning quarterback at Oklahoma. He was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 2000, leading the Sooners to a victory over Florida State in the 2001 BCS National Championship Game Orange Bowl and a Big 12 Conference championship. With 1,552 votes, Heupel finished ahead of the likes of Purdue’s Drew Brees, TCU’s LaDainian Tomlinson and Virginia Tech’s Michael Vick in the Heisman poll. A consensus All-American in 2000, Heupel captured the Associated Press Player of the Year and Walter Camp Award.
During his two seasons as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma from 1999-2000, Heupel posted a 20-5 record. He passed for 7,456 yards and 53 touchdowns. Overall, he still ranks among OU’s top five quarterbacks in passing yards (fifth), completions (third) and touchdown passes (fifth), despite playing just two seasons.
Heupel forged his path to major college football as a junior college All-America performer at Snow College in Utah in 1998, throwing for 2,308 yards and 28 scores. He was inducted into the school’s athletic hall of fame in 2014. Prior to that, he played his 1997 freshman season at Weber State.
Heupel was selected with the No. 177 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was recruited to Oklahoma by the late Mike Leach, who coached him in 1999.
Family
An Aberdeen, South Dakota, native, Heupel earned his bachelor's degree in business marketing from Oklahoma in 2001.
Heupel played high school football at Aberdeen Central, leading his team to a state quarterfinals appearance in 1995. He grew up watching film with his father Ken, who served as head coach of Division II Northern State University for seven seasons.
He and his wife, Dawn, have two children—daughter Hannah and son Jace.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT JOSH HEUPEL ...
“From day one, Coach Heupel came in with the attitude of we want to win ball games. He has an aggressive mindset to just go out there and dominate. Him bringing that competitive approach to the team, as well as being a great listener has been invaluable. He understands what the team needs in every aspect, not just in the building but in life as well. You never know what some of the players are going through. He’s very appealing to every player and very down to Earth. I think he’s the best coach in America.”
- Hendon Hooker, 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year and National Player of the Year finalist
“Coach Heupel played a huge role in my development both on and off the field. His knowledge of the game helped me become the player I am today. He taught me principles that I still apply today in the NFL. He is competitive, driven and always looks out for his players. Tennessee players will thrive in the fun culture he creates.”
- Drew Lock, Seattle Seahawks QB and 2019 NFL Draft Pick
“Coach Heupel will be a tremendous leader for the University of Tennessee football team. He is one of the best coaches I have ever been around. His knowledge and ability to teach are second to none. He was absolutely critical in my development as a quarterback. Tennessee players will absolutely love playing for him.”
- Sam Bradford, 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner, Nine-Year NFL Quarterback, No. 1 NFL Draft Pick in 2010
“This dude (Josh Heupel) goes in there and with a new AD in Danny White, and these boys are creating a little bit of a buzz. … They have become a fun team to watch. They are going to recruit very well. Tennessee has become a stock that is going up.”
- Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN
“Tennessee prepared me a lot for the league -- the way we practiced, from an accountability standpoint and from a leadership standpoint. Coach Heupel practices like NFL teams. His motto is ‘we are going to be the fastest, freshest team on Saturday.’ Him moving me to the slot, for him to get the ball in my hands any type of way, that’s what they did by moving me to the slot. It showed how productive I am when the ball is touching my hands. It opened things up a lot. In his offense, you feel free and comfortable to make plays as a receiver.”
- Velus Jones Jr., 2022 NFL Draft Third Round Pick and 2021 SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year
“I think Josh Heupel today is the most innovative and creative offensive mind in college football. You saw that Saturday. You tell me — I thought I was watching (Patrick) Mahomes and (Josh) Allen last year in the playoffs. Eighteen seconds in college (to score). That's unheard of, what they manufactured. That was brilliant. That was unlike anything I've ever seen in college football in a generation.”
- Paul Finebaum, SEC Network on 2022 victory over Alabama
“The quick work Danny White and Josh Heupel have done—it is a validation of new leadership and new thinking and also a validation that Josh Heupel is a big time SEC coach and Tennessee is on the right trajectory after being on the wrong trajectory for about 15 years.”
- Pete Thamel, ESPN College GameDay
“Coach Heupel has great expectations of his team, and he is great at delivering the message. When he walks into the room, the expectations are delivered. He is very articulate and he lets them know exactly how they are going to do things.”
- Takeo Spikes, SEC Network
ALEC ABELIN | TIGHT ENDS
Alec Abeln, who has worked closely with Josh Heupel at three different programs, enters his first season as tight ends coach in 2023.
Abeln (pronounced ABE-lin), a native of St. Louis, Missouri, worked with the offensive line and all facets of the offense as an offensive analyst during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He was involved in Tennessee’s preparation leading up to a 31-14 victory over ACC champion Clemson in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
In August 2023, Abeln was named to 247Sports' 30 Under 30 list, recognizing top young coaches in the industry.
Abeln immediately joined Heupel’s staff in Knoxville in the spring of 2021 as an offensive analyst. In its last two seasons, the program has enjoyed its greatest success in decades, producing an 18-8 record, seven ranked wins, its first No. 1 ranking since 1998 and a New Year’s Six Bowl victory in December.
In 2022, Abeln was part of an offensive room that led the nation in scoring offense (46.1), total offense (525.5), passing efficiency (181.4) and total touchdowns (79) for the first time in school history. The Vols shattered 13 single-season offensive records, including total points (599), points per game, total offense (6,832), total offense per game, yards per play (7.2), total touchdowns, passing touchdowns (38), rushing touchdowns (40), completion percentage (68.7), passing efficiency, passing yards (4,239), fewest interceptions thrown (3) and first downs (330).
Abeln launched his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant at his alma mater of Missouri in 2018 before joining Heupel’s UCF staff in January 2019. That season saw the Knights rank second in the FBS in total offense (540.5) and fifth nationally in points per game (43.4).
Abeln spent the 2020 season as an offensive assistant at Ole Miss. The Rebels led the SEC in total offense (555.5) and rushing offense (210.6), while ranking third in scoring offense (39.2) that fall. They produced six games of over 500 yards of total offense and ranked third nationally in yards per game.
Abeln played at Missouri from 2013-17, where he was coached by Heupel in his final two seasons. He spent time on the offensive line before transitioning to fullback and tight end as a senior. He played in 32 career games and all 13 contests in 2017, helping the Tigers to a Texas Bowl berth. The 2017 and 2016 seasons saw Mizzou finish first in the SEC in fewest sacks allowed with 13 and 14, respectively.
Abeln was part of an offensive unit that led the SEC in total offense in each of his final two seasons, putting up 502.2 yards per game in 2017 and 500.5 yards per game in 2016.
Abeln earned bachelor’s degrees in Finance and English from Missouri in 2018.
TIM BANKS | DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR
The owner of 16 years of FBS defensive coordinator experience, Tim Banks has made an impact in creating an attacking identity for Tennessee’s defense. Banks enters his third season as the Volunteers’ defensive coordinator on Josh Heupel’s staff in 2023.
Banks’ defensive coordinator experience includes five seasons at Penn State (2016-20), four seasons at Illinois (2012-15), two years at Cincinnati (2010-11) and three seasons at Central Michigan (2007-09). He has been a part of five conference championships during his career as both a player and a coach and 14 bowl games.
In two seasons under Banks, the Vols lead the SEC in tackles for loss per game with 7.53 and are third in turnovers gained per game with 1.46. They have amassed 196 tackles for loss and 38 takeaways during that span. UT forces a turnover on 18.8 percent of opponents’ possessions, which ranks top four in the SEC since the start of the 2021 season. The Vols have limited opponents to 132.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks top 20 among Power Five programs during that time frame.
The 2022 season saw Banks’ defense rank second in the SEC in turnovers forced (22) and rushing defense (115.8 ypg) en route to an 11-win campaign, an Orange Bowl appearance and victories over six ranked teams. UT also boasted a red zone defense that ranked 13th in the FBS and third in the SEC (75.0).
A total of 25 different Vols registered at least 0.5 tackles for loss in 2022, including 18 with two or more. First-team All-SEC edge rusher Byron Young tallied 11, while linebacker Aaron Beasley led the way with 13. UT was one of only two SEC programs with multiple players ranking in the SEC’s top eight in tackles for loss as Beasley was tied for sixth and Young was tied for eighth.
Banks’ defense set the tone in a 40-13 win at eventual SEC West champion LSU, representing the Vols’ largest win in the series since 1940. His unit registered five sacks, nine tackles for loss and 20 QB pressures, while limiting the Tigers to 0-of-3 on fourth down and only 55 yards rushing.
Another highlight came on Oct. 29 in a complete defensive performance and 44-6 rout of No. 19/17 Kentucky. The Vols held 2023 NFL Draft pick Will Levis to just 98 yards through the air—his second-lowest output as a starter with the Wildcats. UK came into the game averaging over 260 yards passing and finished 162 below its average. The six points were the fewest allowed by a Tennessee defense in an SEC game since beating Mississippi State, 34-3, on Oct. 18, 2008.
Banks’ defense capped a remarkable season by frustrating ACC champion No. 7 Clemson in the Orange Bowl in a 31-14 victory. The Vols logged two interceptions, four sacks, seven tackles for loss, seven pass breakups and held the Tigers to 4.79 yards per play—their second-lowest total all season. Clemson’s 14 points tied for its lowest mark all season and lowest in a bowl game in five years.
Banks took over Tennessee’s defensive unit in the spring of 2021, inheriting a roster that had been decimated by the NCAA portal prior to his arrival. He was tabbed as a Broyles Award nominee and helped lead UT to seven victories—four better than a season prior to his arrival— and a berth in the Music City Bowl.
Banks’ squad led the nation in tackles for loss for most of the season, finishing second in the SEC and tied for eighth in the nation with 102. That figure ranked the highest at Tennessee since the sack became part of the NCAA tackle-for-loss equation in the early 2000s, and it nearly doubled the squad’s total of 55 a year prior to his arrival. The Vols also ranked seventh in the FBS in tackles for loss per game (7.8). A total of 21 different UT players registered multiple tackles for loss during the season, including Young and linebacker Jeremy Banks, who finished among the SEC’s top 15 with 11.5 apiece.
Banks’ style also saw the Vols increase their output in defensive takeaways. In 2020, Tennessee ranked on the lower tier of the SEC in forcing turnovers with 10. In 2021, the Vols notched 16 takeaways, which tied for fifth in the SEC. Safety Jaylen McCollough played a key role in that figure, finishing tied for fifth in the SEC with three interceptions.
Player development was evident under Banks in two seasons. Defensive back and STAR position standout Theo Jackson, in his final collegiate season, became a household name in the SEC and enjoyed the best season of his career. He ranked second in the SEC and top 15 in the nation with 12 pass breakups. Jeremy Banks collected a stellar 128 total tackles on the year—good for second in the SEC, seventh in the FBS and the most by a Vol in nearly a decade. Defensive tackle Matthew Butler and cornerback Alontae Taylor also maximized their development that led to postseason success.
Following the season, Butler, Taylor and Jackson all earned all-star game appearances, and Butler and Taylor were invited to the NFL Combine. Their dreams came to fruition when all three were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. Taylor was taken in the second round by the New Orleans Saints (pick No. 49). Butler was tabbed by the Las Vegas Raiders in the fifth round (pick No. 175), and Jackson went to his hometown Tennessee Titans in the sixth round (pick No. 204).
The Vols were one of just three SEC programs and nine nationally with at least three defensive selections through the first six rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft. Tennessee was also one of three SEC schools and eight nationally with multiple defensive backs taken in the entire draft.
Banks’ defense added to that draft total when Young was taken by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. In addition, Jeremy Banks (Tampa Bay Bucs) and defensive lineman LaTrell Bumphus (Seattle Seahawks) both signed free agent deals in May 2023.
Banks came to Knoxville after a successful five-year run as the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Penn State. During his tenure, the Nittany Lions ranked in the top 25 nationally in fewest yards per play allowed all five years and ranked in the top 25 in scoring defense three times and tackles for loss per game three times. He also proved to be an outstanding recruiter during his time.
Under Banks' watch from 2016-20, Penn State was among the best nationally in multiple defensive categories – fifth in sacks (221), sixth in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (70), ninth in yards per play allowed (4.8), ninth in forced fumbles (95), 10th in fewest rushing yards per attempt (4.4), 14th in scoring defense (21.2), 13th in rushing defense (132.7), 17th in total defense (344.6) and 25th in pass defense (211.9).
Banks mentored players on the path to the NFL Draft as Penn State produced 19 defensive selections, including three in the spring of 2021. Seven of Banks’ defensive backs received the draft call. Safety Nick Scott (seventh round) was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in 2019, Marcus Allen (fifth round) was chosen by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018 and safety Troy Apke (fourth round) was tabbed by the Washington Football Team in 2018.
Banks coached safety Jaquan Brisker for two seasons, including a 2020 senior season in which he earned first-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and a 2019 campaign in which he was tabbed a third-team All-Big Ten selection. Brisker was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the No. 48 overall pick.
The Nittany Lions owned a 46-16 record during Banks’ tenure and posted three 11-win campaigns with three New Year's Six games, including the 2017 Rose Bowl after claiming the Big Ten Championship. Penn State tallied a 33-13 mark in conference play during that time, and the Nittany Lions were second in the Big Ten in overall winning percentage (74.19).
Banks' 2019 Penn State defensive unit shined, leading the nation in forced fumbles (22), while ranking fifth in the FBS in rushing defense (95.0), eighth in scoring defense (16.0) and third in fewest touchdown passes allowed (10). The Nittany Lions' scoring defense was their best since 2009 as safeties Lamont Wade and Garrett Taylor garnered All-Big Ten honorable mention honors. Banks played a key role on a squad that posted an 11-2 record and beat No. 17 Memphis in the Cotton Bowl.
Banks' 2018 defense that finished eighth nationally in team passing efficiency (106.10) and 15th in passing yards allowed (181.5) produced All-Big Ten safeties Taylor and Scott. An opportunistic defense that thrived on takeaways, Penn State recorded 13 interceptions and held three opponents to 60 yards or less through the air, representing the first time that feat occurred in single-season school annals since 1976.
Banks' second season was highlighted by the Nittany Lions' second-straight New Year's Six bowl appearance as Penn State topped No. 12 Washington in the Fiesta Bowl. That fall, Banks' defense finished in the top 25 nationally in seven different categories – scoring defense (7th; 16.5), sacks (7th; 3.23), rushing defense (14th; 118.0), total defense (17th; 329.5), team passing efficiency defense (21st; 114.88), turnovers gained (23rd; 25) and tackles for loss (25th; 7.2).
Banks' debut year at Penn State saw the Nittany Lions claim the Big Ten Championship with memorable wins over No. 2 Ohio State (24-21) and No. 6 Wisconsin (38-31) en route to Pasadena that fall. His defense had a strength in forcing negative plays as it ranked seventh nationally in tackle for loss per game (8.1) and 19th in sacks per contest (2.86). Under Banks' tutelage, Allen garnered 2016 All-Big Ten third-team honors as a junior after leading the team with 110 tackles, including six for loss and two fumble recoveries.
Prior to Penn State, Banks served as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach at Illinois for four seasons from 2012-15. In his final season with the Fighting Illini, Banks led a passing defensive unit that ranked among the best in the nation. Illinois allowed only 184.4 yards per game through the air, which ranked 15th in the FBS. The squad also ranked 21st in team passing efficiency defense at 112.24 yards per game.
Banks’ third season at Illinois saw the Illini earn a berth in the 2014 Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Three players from the 2012 Illini defense were selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, with defensive tackle Akeem Spence going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fourth round, cornerback Terry Hawthorne being picked by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fifth round and defensive end Michael Buchanan being selected by the New England Patriots in the seventh round.
Prior to Illinois, Banks spent two seasons at Cincinnati as a co-defensive coordinator and the previous three as defensive coordinator at Central Michigan. Under his guidance, the Bearcats improved 33 spots in rushing defense from No. 39 in 2010 (135.4) to No. 6 in 2011 (95.3) and 21 spots in total defense, from No. 63 in 2010 (369.4) to No. 42 in 2011 (356.4).
Cincinnati led the nation in tackles for loss in 2011 (112) after ranking No. 38 the year before and also ranked No. 2 nationally in sacks in 2011 (46), up from No. 38 in 2010. UC improved 48 spots in scoring defense from No. 68 in 2010 (28.0) to No. 20 in 2011 (20.3) and jumped 110 spots in turnover margin from No. 119 in 2010 to No. 9 in 2011, largely as a result of forcing 33 turnovers in 2011 compared to 14 in 2010.
In 2011, the Bearcats posted a 10-3 record to capture the Big East, including a win over Vanderbilt in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. At Cincy, Banks coached 2011 Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and current Baltimore Ravens defensive end Derek Wolfe as well as first-team All-Big East selections Drew Frey and JK Schaefer. Following the 2011 season, he was nominated for the Broyles Award for assistant coach of the year.
Banks helped lead his alma mater of Central Michigan to a pair of MAC championships as a coach, doing so in 2007 and 2009. His 2009 Central Michigan defense led the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense (18.9), ranked second in rushing defense (122.8), third in pass efficiency defense (117.4) and fourth in total defense (344.2) as the team went 12-2 overall and 8-0 in the MAC. The Chippewas led the MAC in rush defense in both 2007 and 2008, and the 2008 defensive unit led the conference in sacks with 35.
Four players earned first-team All-MAC honors during Banks’ tenure, including linebackers Red Keith and Ike Brown in 2007 and linebacker Nick Bellore and defensive end Frank Zombo in both 2008 and 2009. CMU generated five turnovers in a game three times during a two-season span, including a seven-turnover effort against Army in 2007. Cornerback Josh Gordy tied a school record with three interceptions in that game against the Cadets.
Following the 2007 season, Banks was invited to participate in the NCAA Expert Coaches Academy. Prior to CMU, Banks spent four seasons at Maryland (2003-06) before returning to his alma mater. He coached the Terrapins’ secondary in 2006 after spending his first three seasons with the inside linebackers.
Under his guidance, linebacker D’Qwell Jackson was a two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference first-team selection (2004-05), the 2005 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a 2005 Bednarik Award finalist.
Jackson (Cleveland Browns) was one of three players Banks coached at Maryland who played in the NFL. The others were linebacker David Holloway (Arizona Cardinals) and cornerback Josh Wilson (Seattle Seahawks).
Prior to Maryland, Banks spent two seasons as an assistant at Memphis (2001-02) and two years at Bowling Green (1999-00). At Memphis, the Tigers ranked ninth in the FBS in pass defense in 2002 – his only season working with the cornerbacks.
Banks was a four-year letterman at cornerback and two-time All-MAC second-team selection (1993-94) at Central Michigan. A co-captain for the Chippewas’ 1994 MAC championship team, he led the 1993 team in tackles with 105. He graduated from Central Michigan in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial management.
He and his wife, Robin, reside in Knoxville.
TEE MARTIN | ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/PASSING GAME COORDINATOR/WIDE RECEIVERS
Friend served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Colorado State University from 2015-17.
Friend’s 2017 Colorado State offense ranked 10th in the nation and first in the Mountain West in total offense, averaging 492.5 yards per game. Colorado State’s 33.4 points per game led the conference and ranked 31st in the nation. The Rams led the Mountain West and ranked 20th nationally in passing at 292.2 yards per game. CSU’s rushing attack ranked 31st in the country at 200.2 yards per game.
will friend | offensive line
Will Friend comes to Rocky Top following a three-year stint as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Colorado State, where he led an offense that ranked 11th in the nation and first in the Mountain West in total offense (492.5 ypg) in 2017.
Prior to his time at CSU, Friend served four years as the offensive line coach at Georgia, where he coached four NFL Draft picks on the Bulldogs’ line. Friend has also made coaching stops at UAB and Gardner-Webb, and was a graduate assistant at Georgia. He was a four-year starter and two-time All-SEC guard at Alabama from 1993 to 1997.
Friend has coached nine offensive lineman who have been selected in the NFL Draft, and 11 players overall, including guard Isaiah Wynn, a 2018 first-round selection by the New England Patriots.
Friend served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Colorado State University from 2015-17.
Friend’s 2017 Colorado State offense ranked 10th in the nation and first in the Mountain West in total offense, averaging 492.5 yards per game. Colorado State’s 33.4 points per game led the conference and ranked 31st in the nation. The Rams led the Mountain West and ranked 20th nationally in passing at 292.2 yards per game. CSU’s rushing attack ranked 31st in the country at 200.2 yards per game.
Five Rams earned 2017 All-Mountain West honors, including four first-team selections in quarterback Nick Stevens, wide receiver Michael Gallup and offensive linemen Jake Bennett and Zach Golditch. Stevens enjoyed a banner redshirt senior season in 2017, leading the Mountain West and ranking 13th in the nation with 3,799 passing yards while completing 61.9 percent of his passes and throwing for 29 touchdowns. Gallup finished third in the nation with 100 receptions and his 1,413 receiving yards ranked fifth among all FBS receivers. Gallup earned consensus All-America honors in 2017 for his efforts.
In 2016, Friend guided one of the most productive offenses in Colorado State history, and the most potent in the red zone, en route to a second-straight bowl appearance. The Rams scored on 53 of 56 trips inside the 20 (94.6 percent) to rank fourth in FBS. CSU also ranked 12th in passing efficiency (157.04), 28th in scoring offense (35.3), 30th in total offense (462.5) and 31st in rushing offense (217.8).
Six players from Friend’s offensive unit earned All-Mountain West recognition: Gallup (first team), guards Fred Zerblis (first team) and Paul Thurston (honorable mention), Bennett (second team), Stevens (honorable mention) and tackle Nick Callender (honorable mention).
The Rams were especially productive in the second half of the 2016 season, averaging 47.8 points and 533.8 yards per game over the last six contests. Friend’s offensive line was a strength of the team, which allowed just 1.0 sack per game, 8th-best in the nation. CSU allowed just one sack in the final six games of the season.
Quarterback Nick Stevens ranked fifth in FBS (first in MW) with a 171.3 passer efficiency rating and the Rams ranked 12th in FBS with just seven interceptions thrown.
In his first season with the Rams in 2015, Friend helped lead Colorado State to a 7-6 record with an offense that ranked 47th nationally and third in the Mountain West. The unit featured five All-Mountain West honorees, including first team all-conference wide receiver Rashard Higgins and second team honoree Stevens. Following his junior season, Higgins was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.
Colorado State’s offensive line allowed just 1.31 sacks per game and 4.62 tackles for a loss per game, figures which ranked 22nd and 10th, respectively, in the nation. Stevens set passing records for a CSU sophomore with 2,679 yards through the air and 21 touchdowns (fifth-most in school history), and the Rams were one of only two FBS schools to have three running backs each record at least one game with 140 or more rushing yards (Dalyn Dawkins, Izzy Matthews and Jasen Oden, Jr.).
Georgia (2011-14)
Friend spent four seasons at Georgia, beginning in 2011 as offensive line coach and adding the title of running game coordinator in 2013. During his final season in Athens in 2014, Friend helped guide a Bulldogs’ offense that averaged 41.3 points per game, which ranked eighth nationally, and racked up 457.8 yards of total offense per game.
Against teams ranked in the Top 25, UGA compiled a 3-2 record while scoring 34.4 points per game. Additionally, the 2014 Bulldogs’ offense ranked in the top 15 nationally in rushing offense (257.0; 11th in FBS), team passing efficiency (156.06; ninth in FBS), completion percentage (67.4 percent; seventh in FBS), fewest interceptions (6; ninth in FBS), third-down conversion percentage (49.7 percent; eighth in FBS) and fourth-down conversion percentage (80.0 percent; third in FBS). He helped develop Wynn that season, laying the foundation for the future first round pick.
Friend and the offensive staff at Georgia also posted record-setting numbers in 2012 and 2013, including single-season total offense (6,547 in 2012 and 6,294 in 2013); average yards per game (484.2 in ‘13 and 467.64 in ‘12) and touchdowns in a season (72 in 2012 and 58 in ‘13).
He also coached three 2012 NFL draft choices – offensive tackle Cordy Glenn (second round, Buffalo Bills), center Ben Jones (fourth round, Houston Texans), and offensive tackle Justin Anderson (seventh round, Indianapolis Colts). Friend also coached offensive tackle John Theus, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 draft by San Francisco.
UAB (2007-10)
Prior to his tenure at Georgia, Friend spent four seasons as offensive line coach at UAB (2007-10) where the Blazers’ average offensive output per game in 2009 and 2010 represented two of the top three season marks in program history.
The UAB offense registered 5,074 yards in 2010, the school’s second-highest single-season total. The Blazers finished the 2010 campaign ranked 24th nationally in total offense (422.8 yards per game) and were 24th in passing offense (267.0). In 2009, UAB’s rushing average of 229.9 yards per game was the highest mark for the Blazers in school history and ranked No. 7 in the nation.
Gardner-Webb (2005-06)
Friend spent the previous two years at Gardner-Webb (2005-06) as offensive line coach. In his first season at Gardner-Webb, the Bulldog offense ranked No. 10 nationally in total offense as Friend saw three of his linemen earn All-Big South Conference honors.
Georgia (2003-04)
Friend served two years as a graduate assistant coach at Georgia from 2003-04. The Bulldogs went a combined 21-5 in his two years and finished No. 7 in the AP Top 25 both seasons.
Pre-DI College Coaching Career
Friend spent one year at Tuscaloosa Central High School (2002) and was the offensive line coach at West Alabama in 2001.
Background
A two-time All-SEC and four-year starting guard at Alabama, Friend helped the Crimson Tide to the SEC Western Division title and berths in the SEC Championship Game in 1993, 1994 and 1996, with appearances in the Gator Bowl, Citrus Bowl (1996) and Outback Bowl (1997). Friend was named to Alabama’s Team of the Decade for the 1990s.
Friend was a Parade Magazine All-America selection as a senior at Neshoba Central High in Philadelphia, Miss. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in human performance from Alabama in 1998. He and his wife, the former Carrie Moon, have three children: Katie, Brooks and Charlie.
JAY GRAHAM | RUNNING BACKS
"I'm excited to welcome Jay Graham back to Tennessee," Pruitt said. "He is one of the best assistant coaches in the country, and his track record for developing running backs speaks for itself, as you can see several of the young men he has coached playing on Sundays. He's the total package as a coach with his experience playing in the NFL and his years coaching in the SEC and ACC. He has tremendous work ethic and an impressive ability to connect with young people. I was impressed by Jay from the start of our time working together and winning a national championship in 2013. He's one of the best running backs ever to play at Tennessee, which I saw firsthand in the mid-90s. I'm thrilled to be working alongside him again and bringing him back to Rocky Top."
After his professional football career, Graham returned to UT and earned his bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2004 before embarking on his collegiate coaching career. He earned his master's degree in Sports Management from Tennessee in 2009.
He previously coached UT's running backs in 2012, teaming up with current offensive coordinator Jim Chaney.
In 2013, he won a national championship at Florida State alongside Pruitt.
Graham has coached some of college football's top running backs of the last decade, including NFL stars Dalvin Cook (Minnesota Vikings, 2019 Pro Bowl selection) and Devonta Freeman (Atlanta Falcons, two Pro Bowls) and All-SEC running backs Trayveon Williams (Texas A&M) and Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina).
Since 2013, six Graham-coached running backs have been selected in the NFL Draft.
This past season, Graham coached Texas A&M true freshman Isaiah Spiller to a 946-yard, 10-touchdown, SEC All-Freshman season. Spiller led all SEC freshman running backs in rushing yards.
In 2018, Williams set Texas A&M single-season records and led the SEC in all-purpose yards (2,038) and rushing yards (1,760) in 2018 while scoring 18 touchdowns. He was a sixth-round pick by the Bengals in 2019. Additionally, fullback Cullen Gillaspia was a seventh-round selection by the Houston Texans.
Cook set Florida State school records for single-season rushing yards (1,765 in 2016) and career rushing yards (4,464 from 2014-16) under Graham's tutelage. He finished in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting in 2015 and 2016 and was a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Graham coached Freeman at Florida State to a 1,016-yard, 15-touchdown season as the Seminoles finished 14-0 and won the 2013 national championship with an offense that scored a national-record 723 points.
Graham also guided Florida State's special teams units from 2014-17, coaching three-time All-American placekicker Roberto Aguayo, who was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Prior to joining Jimbo Fisher's staff at Florida State, Graham spent one season at his alma mater in 2012, helping the Vols more than double their rushing output from 70.4 yards per game in 2011 to 160.3 yards per game in 2012 behind Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane.
He spent three seasons at South Carolina from 2009-11, where he coached Lattimore to consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, including 1,609 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns as a true freshman in 2010. Lattimore was a fourth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers.
Graham also served one-year stints at Miami (Ohio), UT-Martin, San Diego and Chattanooga after getting his coaching start as a graduate assistant at Tennessee in 2005.
Graham grabbed All-SEC second-team honors in 1995 and 1996 while leading Tennessee in rushing both seasons.
The Concord, N.C., native rushed for 1,438 yards in 1995, the second-most in a single season ever by a Vol, collecting a school-record 11 100-yard games and scoring 12 touchdowns along the way that year.
He had 797 yards and 11 scores in 1996. He ranks second in school history with 14 career 100-yard games.
Graham was a third-round selection by Baltimore Ravens in 1997. He played six years in the NFL with the Ravens, Packers and Seahawks.
Graham and his wife, Kelly, are the parents of three daughters, Nia, Denae and Kierra, and two sons, Jayson and Kellan.
brian niedermeyer | INSIDE LINEBACKERS
He also was a defensive graduate assistant coach, working under Pruitt, at Georgia in 2015. A native of Eagle River, Alaska, he was the wide receivers coach at East Texas Baptist University in 2014 and also worked on the staffs at Miami (Fla.) and Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Niedermeyer played tight end at UAPB.
Tennessee (2018-Present) The first-year tight ends coach was named 2019 National Recruiter of the Year in by 247Sports and ESPN joining Jeremy Pruitt and Tee Martin as the third coach on Tennessee’s staff to win the award.
Niedermeyer was key in the development of junior tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson, who emerged as a potential all-conference player. Wood-Anderson had 17 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns, including the first score of the season.
Alabama (2016-17) Niedermeyer served as the assistant director of recruiting operations with the Crimson Tide in 2017, facilitating the day-to-day operations and recruiting efforts for student-athletes as well as on-campus recruiting events.
In 2016, Niedermeyer was a defensive graduate assistant, specializing in linebackers under Pruitt, Alabama’s defensive coordinator.
Led by linebackers Reuben Foster, Tim Williams and Ryan Anderson, the Tide led the nation in scoring defense (13.0 ppg) and rushing defense (63.9 ypg), while ranking second in total defense (261.8 ypg). Alabama finished 14-1, winning the SEC Championship and the Sugar Bowl before falling to Clemson in the College Football Playoff Championship Game.
Foster collected consensus All-America honors and won the Butkus Award after totaling 115 tackles, 13 TFLs and five sacks. Williams was a second-team All-American after tallying nine sacks, while Anderson nabbed first-team All-SEC honors and led the Crimson Tide with 19 TFLs. The trio moved onto the NFL after the season. Foster was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the No. 31 pick in the first round, Anderson was picked No. 49 overall in the second round by the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens chose Williams in the third round.
JOE OSOVET | TIGHT ENDS
"I'm excited to announce Joe Osovet as our new tight ends coach," head coach Jeremy Pruitt said. "Joe's track record as an outstanding college coach and a top offensive mind speaks for itself. He's been successful at every stop he has been, and he's done a tremendous job behind the scenes here at Tennessee over the last two years. He's ready to be an on-field coach and eager to get to work. He's an excellent relationship builder and I believe he will do a great job in our tight end room."
He came to Rocky Top after a successful tenure as one of the nation's top junior college head coaches. Osovet coached 11 NFL players and developed 47 NCAA Division I players as a JUCO head coach at ASA (N.Y.) College and Nassau (N.Y.) Community College, finishing with a combined record of 33-11 with two Northeast Football Conference Coach of the Year awards (2014 and 2017) and the 2014 USA Sports Writer JUCO Coach of the Year honor.
At ASA College (2016-17), Osovet directed an offense that averaged 41.9 points per game, including a stretch during the final two games of the 2016 season where the Avengers averaged 75.0.
Prior to his time at ASA College, Osovet was the head coach and offensive coordinator at Nassau Community College. He was named interim head coach for the final three games of the 2013 season before serving as head coach in 2014 and 2015. In his first full season, Osovet directed Nassau to a 10-0 mark in 2014, earning conference and national coach of the year honors. He guided the Lions to a 6-3 record in 2015 before taking the reins at ASA.
Osovet played one season at Northeastern (1993) after graduating from Nassau Community College. He is married to Sandra and the couple has two children: son, Austin, and daughter, Brooke Marie.
CHRIS weinke | QUARTERBACKS
Former NFL quarterback and 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke brings a wealth of knowledge to the Vols’ coaching staff as both a standout player and coach. Weinke, who led Florida State to the 1999 national championship, comes to Tennessee as the running backs coach after working as an offensive analyst at Alabama in 2017, helping lead the Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff National Championship.
Before his time in Tuscaloosa, Weinke was the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams for two seasons and spent five years as the program director at IMG Academy where he worked with some of the nation’s top high school football recruits and trained several NFL players.
Weinke was an offensive analyst for Alabama in 2017, helping lead the Crimson Tide to the national championship by contributing to an offense that ranked No. 15 in the nation in scoring (37.1 points per game) and No. 13 in rushing (250.6).
Weinke was instrumental in Alabama’s offense, which was powered by running backs Damien Harris (1,000 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Bo Scarbrough (596 yards and eight touchdowns) as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts (2,081 yards, 17 touchdowns and one interception passing; 855 yards and eight touchdowns rushing) and All-SEC and All-American wide receiver Calvin Ridley (63 catches, 967 yards, five touchdowns).
Ridley was selected by the Atlanta Falcons with the 26th pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, while Scarbrough was also selected in the 2018 Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams (2015-16)
Prior to joining the Crimson Tide, Weinke was the quarterbacks coach for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams in 2015 and 2016. In his two seasons with the Rams, Weinke mentored quarterbacks Nick Foles, Case Keenum and No. 1 pick Jared Goff.
Keenum found success under Weinke’s direction, passing for over 3,000 yards despite starting only 14 games. Weinke also helped Goff, then a 21-year-old rookie, build a foundation for his future success as his first NFL position coach.
IMG Football Academy (2010-14)
From 2010-14 Weinke spent five years as the director of the IMG Football Academy in Bradenton, Fla., teaching fundamentals of the game, and serving as the head coach and offensive coordinator of the IMG Academy high school team in 2013 and 2014.
IMG Academy’s prep program went 19-2 in 2013 and 2014 with Weinke at the helm and he coached several players who went on to play at the NCAA Division I level including Alabama’s Scarbrough and Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois.
Additionally, Weinke, who launched the academy in 2010, gained extensive experience training quarterbacks for the NFL Combine and NFL Draft, including Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, Kirk Cousins and Matt Barkley – many of which continued to return to work with Weinke in the offseason.
Background
Weinke enjoyed a seven-year NFL career from 2001-07, playing with the Carolina Panthers (2001-06) and the San Francisco 49ers (2007). The Panthers drafted Weinke in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft with the 106th overall pick.
He started 15 games as a rookie in 2001, throwing for 2,931 yards and 11 touchdowns and rushing for 128 yards and six scores. Weinke played in 27 games and made 19 starts for Carolina from 2001-06. After signing with San Francisco in 2007, he played in two games and made one start.
The St. Paul, Minnesota, native is perhaps best known for his remarkable career at Florida State, playing for the legendary Bobby Bowden from 1997-2000. Weinke owns the Seminoles’ career records for passing yards (9,839), completions (650) and touchdown passes (79) and his 14 games with 300 or more passing yards is tied for the most in FSU history. He played in 36 games and his 32 wins as a starting quarterback are the most in Florida State history.
As a senior in 2000, Weinke won the Heisman Trophy, Johnny Unitas Award and the Davey O’Brien Award after leading Florida State to the ACC title and an 11-2 record. He threw for an FSU record 4,167 yards and a then-record 33 touchdowns and completed 61.7 percent of his passes in 2000. At 28, Weinke became the oldest player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
As a junior in 1999, Weinke led Florida State to a perfect 12-0 record, capping the year with a 46-29 win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl to give the Seminoles the BCS National Championship. He threw for 3,103 yards and 25 touchdowns and completed 61.5 percent of his passes during Florida State’s championship run.
Weinke was a 1989 Parade magazine and USA Today first-team high school All-American at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minn. He was also an all-state baseball player and in 1990 he was drafted in the second round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player draft (No. 62 overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.
He signed a professional contract with Toronto and played in the minor leagues before leaving baseball in 1996. Weinke has an 11-year-old son, Carter, and a 9-year-old daughter, Mallory.
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