2021 did not start off the way Tennessee football fans were hoping for. On January 18th the University was hit with violations regarding recruits being handed McDonald’s bags full of cash as an incentive to come play for the Volunteers. You truly can’t make this stuff up. Anything for Tennessee to get any sort of edge in the SEC.
The Vols’ then head coach Jeremy Pruitt was swiftly fired. The violation is classified as a Level II violation which is seen as the second worst out of four different levels. Level II violations are systematic but not out of control, whereas a Level I violation is much more serious.
On Wednesday, as the university attempts to slowly patch up what was an already broken program and team, Tennessee hired former UCF head coach Josh Heupel.
Heupel spent the past three seasons as the UCF head coach where he was hired by then UCF athletic director Danny White, who also left for Tennessee and has now hired Heupel again.
Breaking: Tennessee is hiring UCF’s Josh Heupel as its next head football coach, sources told @ClowESPN. pic.twitter.com/OTGSqvuwH7
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 27, 2021
“We looked at a number of potential candidates,” said White in a statement this Wednesday. “Josh Heupel, who I had the privilege of working with for three years, is everything we were looking for: winning with integrity, a history of championships and the architect of explosive offenses. He is a players’ coach and the kind of person the student-athletes go the extra mile for. I saw that first-hand, and you can see it in his coaching record.”
In 2018 Heupel replaced former UCF head coach Scott Frost, who guided UCF to an unbeaten 13-0 record the year prior. Heupel will finish 28-8 in his head coaching career with the Knights. He went 12-1 in during his first season in 2018.
“I am thrilled to be coming to Tennessee,” Heupel announced in the University of Tennessee’s statement. “I understand that Volunteer fans are hungry for a return to the top that they so richly deserve, and it is my goal and commitment to bring a championship back to Rocky Top.”