As long as Josh Heupel is the head coach at Tennessee and having success, the Vols should always keep an eye on Oklahoma.
There’s no danger of Heupel, who is about to begin his second season at Tennessee, leaving Tennessee anytime soon – and there might not ever be serious concerns about him leaving for the Sooners. Things didn’t end well for Heupel and his alma mater towards the end of his tenure in Norman. That’s been well documented.
Heupel was fired by the Sooners the 2014 season. Heupel probably wasn’t real happy about the decision as he had to resurrect his career at Utah State and Missouri before becoming the head coach at Central Florida in 2018.
Oklahoma’s future came into question this week when an assistant coach, Cale Gundy, resigned after he admitted to using inappropriate and offensive language during a team meeting.
Gundy’s departure from the school can’t be a good sign in Brent Venables first preseason camp. The longtime defensive coordinator has been tasked with keeping Oklahoma at a championship level after former coach Lincoln Riley bolted for Southern California. Will Venables have success? That’s up for debate.
Let’s be clear, there are a ton of things that have to happen for Oklahoma to seriously court Heupel, where he played quarterback for the Sooners.
First, Heupel would have to be proven enough for the Sooners to come calling. That will take more than one season and, assuming it happens, would mean that Tennessee’s football program is in far better shape than it had been in the past. If Heupel actually did return to Oklahoma one day, the Vols would be in much better shape to hire another coach moving forward.
Second, there is a lot that would have to change in order for Heupel to consider returning to Norman. Remember, he was fired by the same administration that is in charge now. So they would most likely have to be replaced for Heupel to consider a return.
Ultimately, Tennessee fans should become Sooner fans. If Venables, who was hired from Clemson following the 2021 season, has success at Oklahoma, then this is all academic. The best thing for Tennessee’s fan base is for Venables to flourish at Oklahoma and never come calling. However, I’m seriously doubtful that Venables will, indeed, have success at Oklahoma. So far, things aren’t off to a rosy start for the career defensive assistant.
Nevertheless, as it pertains to Heupel, the relationships between the two parties would have to change dramatically for them to reunite. There’s certainly no guarantee that the two parties will ever see eye-to-eye and, even if they do one day, Heupel could very likely find that what he’s built at Tennessee is greener than any pastures in Norman.
There’s no need for concern. However, Oklahoma should always be on Tennessee’s radar.
