Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has been named the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week.
Tennessee (6-0, 3-0 SEC) defeated Alabama (6-1, 3-1 SEC), 52-49, at Neyland Stadium in Week 7.
The Dodd Trophy press release:
Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl today announced that Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel has been selected as The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week presented by PNC.
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week award honors a football coach who led his team to a significant victory during the previous week, while also embodying the award’s three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
Now coaching his second season in Knoxville, Josh Heupel led the Volunteers to a 52-49 victory over No. 3 Alabama on Saturday for the program’s first win over the Crimson Tide since 2006. With 15 seconds remaining, Tennessee drove the ball 45 yards in three plays, setting up a Chase McGrath game winning 40-yard field goal. Tennessee was led offensively by wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, who finished with five receiving touchdowns, setting a new program record.
The Volunteers scored their most points ever in the 105-game series, improving to 6-0 overall and 3-0 in the SEC. Tennessee has now defeated four ranked teams for the first time in a regular season since 1998 when the Volunteers went on to win the BCS National Championship. The Volunteers moved up to No. 3 in the most recent AP poll after the win.
“This was a statement win for Coach Heupel and the Tennessee football program,” said Jim Terry, chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation. “This is the type of challenge that Coach Dodd would have relished, rallying his team for a crucial win over a top-10 conference rival.”
Heupel was named the 27th head football coach of the Volunteers in January 2021. After inheriting a team that went 3-7, Heupel led the Volunteers to a 7-6 record in his first season at the helm. Before his time in Knoxville, he served as head coach at UCF for three seasons from 2018-2020, compiling a 28-8 record and winning an American Athletic Conference title in 2018. Heupel also spent time at Oklahoma (2004, 2006-14), Arizona (2005), Utah State (2015) and Missouri (2016-17) in various assistant coaching roles.
In the classroom, Tennessee has earned an impressive 84 Graduation Success Rate among its student-athletes, along with a 944 Academic Progress Rate.
In the community, Heupel and Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello recently teamed up on campus in April to support the Wounded Warriors Project. Heupel and his student-athletes also took a trip to East Tennessee Children’s Hospital later that month, in efforts to support and give back to the local community.
“Having someone like Coach Heupel leading your program has already paid dividends for Tennessee,” said Gary Stokan, CEO and President of Peach Bowl, Inc. “He has prepared his student-athletes for adversity both on the field and in the classroom, turning them into better men and football players.”
The Dodd Trophy presented by PNC– along with the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week Award – celebrates the head coach of a FBS team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity.
A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2022 season. The winner of the 2022 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.
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