Vol Calls – Syndication Server

Josh Heupel details past experiences recruiting the Volunteer State

Josh Heupel was hired as Tennessee’s head coach on Jan. 27.

During his introductory press conference, Heupel discussed how it is important to recruit within the state of Tennessee.

“The most important thing that we do is lock down our boarders,” Heupel said at his introductory press conference. “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.”

Josh Heupel speaks during a press conference announcing his hiring as football head coach for the University of Tennessee, in the Stokely Family Media Center in Neyland Stadium, in Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan.27, 2021. © Caitie McMekin/Pool via News Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Heupel made his debut on “Vol Calls” Monday.

During his appearance, the newly-hired UT head coach detailed past experiences recruiting within the Volunteer State.

Heupel mentioned he served as a spot-recruiter in Tennessee while serving as Missouri’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“Being on the offensive side of the ball, a lot of that was for offensive players, whether that’s a skill player or a big man,” he said. “When I was at Missouri, Memphis was one of my national cities that I owned as a recruiter.

“Spent a lot of time there for three recruiting cycles, and got a chance to know a lot of the coaches that are on the ground there.”

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Josh Heupel details timeline of hiring a staff

Josh Heupel was hired as the Vols’ head coach on Jan. 27.

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel made his debut on “Vol Calls” Monday.

Heupel was asked what his ideal timeline is for hiring a staff. The newly-hired Tennessee head coach discussed his plans for an on and off the field staff.

“We had a large staff in Orlando in UCF, and I’m talking about your support staff, you got your 10 main coaches — we’re chipping away at that,” Heupel said. “I like where we’re at, and where we’re heading, with our on-field coaches. At the same time, you’re the CEO of, really in most respects, a large corporation, too, so making sure that your support staff is right, as well, so bit by bit with the people that you feel strongly about and it ends up being the right fit.

“You start moving those guys to Knoxville to help your current players and get their feet on the ground.”

Heupel was hired as the Vols’ head coach on Jan. 27.

Inside Josh Heupel’s offense

Josh Heupel’s quarterbacks by the numbers

Josh Heupel’s running backs by the numbers

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Phillip Fulmer details how he will evaluate Vols’ football ‘from a big picture, realistically, not emotionally’

Phillip Fulmer details how he will evaluate Vols’ football from a big picture, realistically, not emotionally.

Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer appeared on the radio show “Vol Calls” Wednesday.

Fulmer provided his support for third-year Vols’ head coach Jeremy Pruitt. Fulmer hired Pruitt in Dec. 2017.

Pruitt is 15-17 during three seasons at Tennessee with one bowl victory.

Tennessee (2-5, 2-5 SEC) will play Florida, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt to conclude the 2020 regular season.

“The coaches right now are fully focused on the three games that we have left and with Florida coming into town,” Fulmer said on “Vol Calls.” “It’s always a tough game, but if we play really hard and take care of the ball better and get the ball back some, I think anything can happen.

“They’re a good, good football team, but as you said, as an athletic director I have the responsibility to lead the program and look it over and evaluate it and the progress that we’re making or not making. I have to really look at it from a big picture, and realistically, and not emotionally.”

Tennessee head coach Johnny Majors and Phillip Fulmer. © Michael Patrick/News Sentinel

Fulmer served as Johnny Majors’ offensive line coach from 1980-88. Majors’ first season as head coach at Tennessee came in 1977, and through his first 30 games he was 14-15-1.

“I had the experience of being part of Coach Majors’ staff in the early 80s, and the programs are kind of in a similar place,” Fulmer said in comparing Majors and Pruitt. “It took Coach (Majors) into his fourth and fifth year to get things turned around, and right now everybody wished that it would happen quicker in the process.”

Fulmer mentioned Tennessee is “a better football team than our record has shown.”

“Team plays hard and I think the Auburn game was a good example of that, but we’re not taking care of the ball and protecting it like we should, and we certainly haven’t gotten the takeaways that you would think a normal aggressive defense would get,” Fulmer said. “Giving great effort and taking care of the ball and getting the ball back are three of the things that you have to do to have a good team, and it’s not one particular group all the time. It’s just we’ve had a very inconsistent group and a lot of that is coming from youth.

“Coach Pruitt’s said it a bunch of times, we’ve offensively and defensively, just can’t have those catastrophic plays that we’ve had, that have cost us games.”

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Jeremy Pruitt ‘thankful’ to be part of UT football, ‘excited’ about where Vols’ program is headed

Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt discusses what he is thankful for.

Tennessee (2-5, 2-5 SEC) has an open date in Week 10 of a 10-game, SEC-only regular season schedule.

The Vols were slated to play at Vanderbilt (0-7, 0-7 SEC) Saturday. The game has been postponed by the Southeastern Conference.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt took part in his weekly appearance on the radio show “Vol Calls” Wednesday. He discussed what he is thankful for with it being the Thanksgiving holiday.

“I’m thankful for my family,” Pruitt said. “I’m thankful that I have a great opportunity to be a part of this great university. I love our players. I love our coaches.

“It’s a privilege to get to work with them every single day and I’m excited about where we’re headed in the future.”

Tennessee will return to action Dec. 5 against Florida at Neyland Stadium.

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Dates announced for Vols’ games against Texas A&M, Vanderbilt

Phillip Fulmer announced game dates for Tennessee against Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.

Tennessee Director of Athletics Phillip Fulmer announced when the Vols will play Texas A&M and Vanderbilt in December.

The Vols will play at Vanderbilt Dec. 12 and UT will host Texas A&M Dec. 19.

Fulmer made the announcement on the radio show “Vol Calls” Wednesday.

“We’ve got Florida next week, and then we’ve got Vanderbilt, and then we’ve still got Texas A&M on the 19th,” Fulmer said.

Tennessee will play Florida Dec. 5 at Neyland Stadium.

The Vols were originally scheduled to play Texas A&M Nov. 14 and Vanderbilt Nov. 28. Both contests were postponed due to the impact of COVID-19.

Tennessee has currently lost five consecutive games after opening the 2020 campaign with wins over South Carolina and Missouri.

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Vols have ‘best practice’ for timing between quarterbacks and receivers

Vols have ‘best practice’ for timing between quarterbacks and receivers.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee (2-4, 2-4 SEC) was scheduled to play Texas A&M (5-1, 5-1 SEC) Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

The game has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns surrounding Texas A&M’s program and will be tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12.

Even though Saturday’s contest with the Aggies was postponed, third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt still took part in his weekly “Vol Calls” radio appearance.

Pruitt discussed how his team had a good day of practice Wednesday and not having a game this week helps some of the younger student-athletes getting more reps.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for everybody, but absolutely the younger guys, too,” Pruitt said. “The circumstances, not just here at Tennessee, just talking to the other guys in the league, it’s been a very unusual fall, summer and fall. Just getting these guys kind of in a rhythm has been tough, not just for us, everybody.

“I think these next couple of days, especially for our quarterbacks, our wide receivers, I thought today was probably the best practice we’ve had with our quarterbacks, our wide receivers, with timing, more understanding of what we’re doing. It was good, it was good for all these younger guys, and even the older guys.”

Redshirt senior quarterback Jarrett Guarantano remains in concussion protocol after suffering a head injury and exiting last week’s game at Arkansas.

“He did not practice today, so we’ll wait until doc says that he can come back,” Pruitt said of Guarantano.

Tennessee is scheduled to return to action Nov. 21 at Auburn.

Austin Pope ‘probably won’t play this year’ for Vols

Austin Pope ‘probably won’t play this year’ for Vols.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee redshirt senior tight end Austin Pope underwent back surgery on July 16.

Third-year Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt addressed Pope’s status in playing this season during his weekly radio appearance on “Vol Calls.”

“Austin Pope is not going to be ready to play and probably won’t play this year,” Pruitt said on “Vol Calls.” “He’s still rehabbing and we’ll see where that goes beyond this year.”

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound tight end has totaled seven receptions for 85 yards in 33 games during his career at Tennessee.

Tennessee will play at South Carolina Saturday. Kick off is slated for 7:30 p.m. EST and the contest will be televised by SEC Network.

2020 ‘Vol Calls’ schedule

2020 ‘Vol Calls’ schedule.

KNOXVILLE — “Vol Calls,” the official statewide call-in radio show for the University of Tennessee returns Wednesday.

Wednesday’s show kicks off the 2020-21 season and will air between 8-9 p.m. EST. “Vols Calls” takes place at Calhoun’s On the River in Knoxville and is hosted by Bob Kesling, the voice of the Tennessee Volunteers.

Bob Kesling of “Vol Calls” speaks to University of Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt while on the air at Calhoun’s on the River in Knoxville, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2019. Kesling has hosted the show for 20 years.

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Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt will debut this season on “Vol Calls” Sept. 23. Below is a schedule of “Vol Calls” during the 2020 football season.

2020 “Vol Calls” schedule

Wednesday, Sept. 16
Wednesday, Sept. 23
Wednesday, Oct. 7
Wednesday, Oct. 14
Wednesday, Oct. 21
Wednesday, Oct. 28
Wednesday, Nov. 4
Wednesday, Nov. 11
Wednesday, Nov. 18
Wednesday, Nov. 25
Wednesday, Dec. 2