Josh Heupel was named Tennessee’s new football head coach on Wednesday.
He met with media and outlined his plans for making the Volunteers’ football program a family and mentioned his commitment in keeping blue chip recruits at home.
One of Heupel’s priorities is attempting to keep some of the team’s current top players in Knoxville.
“The most important thing that we do is lock down our boarders,” Heupel said at his introductory press conference Wednesday. “We have to keep kids inside this state here. That’s for multiple reasons.
“They’re going to come play championship-caliber football, they’re going to be developed, they’re going to have the opportunity to move on to the NFL. They’re going to get a great degree and they’re going to be empowered to live inside this state once they’re done with that degree — but we have to do that inside our own borders.”
At UT, Heupel inherits a program in the midst of an NCAA investigation for alleged recruiting violations.
He also comes to a program where multiple players have gone on to other places. Others remain in the transfer portal and could also leave.
Heupel made his sales pitch to keep those players on Rocky Top.
“To the current members of this football team, and this roster, we need to be a family,” he said. “We need to act like a family. Everybody’s got a different perspective, based off their background, on what a family is at times. When you sit in front of a team and there’s 105 guys in front of you, everybody’s got a little bit different perspective, but at the end of the day, a family, to me, is defined when push comes to shove — that family stays together.
“Let’s stay a family. Let’s trust the people that are in place to help you become what you’re capable of. You chose this university for the right reasons.”
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