Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel isn’t going to dive into the emotions of returning to Oklahoma during his press conference this week. That’s not his style.

Heupel, who prides himself in providing absolutely no information to the media, will tell whoever is listening that this week’s matchup against the Sooners is just another game – but it’s not. No matter. Heupel isn’t going to talk about the joy of winning a national championship as Oklahoma’s quarterback nor the pain he felt when his school fired him as its offensive coordinator in 2014.

Heupel was asked about his future as his time was drawing to a close in Oklahoma, but has hardly addressed it since. The Sooners had just finished 8-5 and were drubbed by Clemson 40-6 in the Russell Athletic Bowl. The writing was on the wall. Heupel either didn’t want to – or couldn’t – acknowledge that his job was in serious jeopardy.

“You wake up the next morning and you get better and you keep climbing,” Heupel reportedly said shortly after his last game as an Oklahoma coach. “That’s what we as coaches have to do. That’s what our players have to do.”

Heupel has proven to be the kind of coach – and man – who keeps his feelings close to his chest. For more on Heupel and how he really feels about Oklahoma, you would probably have to marry into his family and that would still be no guarantee. 

If you’re hoping for a juicy quote from Heupel about going back to Oklahoma, don’t hold your breath. Sure, it will be an emotional week for the head coach of the Vols, but he doesn’t like talking about how things went down in Norman. Who could blame him?

Heupel was thought to be in line to be the Sooners’ next head coach whenever Bob Stoops retired. While those things usually never workout, it seemed like destiny at the time. Heupel was an offensive-minded coach, like Stoops, and certainly had the fans on his side thanks to his championship playing days, until things began to go downhill. Stoops put an end to all of that talk by firing Heupel despite his 11 years as a graduate assistant, tight ends coach, quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator for the Sooners.

Heupel will certainly quell any questions about Oklahoma this week – and for good reason. Tennessee has established itself as one of the best teams in the nation and seem to have a legitimate shot at winning a national championship. Heupel and the Vols don’t need the distraction.

It’s hard to argue with Stoops’ decision if you just look at the results. Oklahoma made the College Football Playoff in 2015 without Heupel in charge of the offense. However, there’s more to it than that. Some believe that Heupel was just a scapegoat and that the offense he ran in 2014 was forced upon him by Stoops. Heupel isn’t going to talk about that before Tennessee begins SEC play on Saturday. In fact, he doesn’t even discuss as much with his team.

“I’ve never really talked to Heup about that or that whole situation or anything,” Tennessee center Cooper Mays said. “I wasn’t even aware, really…There’s going to be stuff that happens throughout life. You’re going to fall down. You’re going to have people push you down. But at the end of the day, life’s coming from you and not at you.”

Heupel’s career certainly didn’t come to an end following the dismissal from Oklahoma. He took the offensive coordinator position at Utah State shortly after being fired. Then, he became the offensive coordinator at Missouri. After having success as a Tiger, Heupel was named the head coach at Central Florida before the 2018 season. 

Heupel went 12-1 and won the American Athletic Conference. There was talk that he could be named Missouri’s head coach, but the Tigers went with current head coach Eli Drinkwitz. Perhaps Missouri thought Heupel needed more seasoning. Well, he got it, leading Central Florida to a 10-3 record in 2019. Then, Heupel seemed to be on the short end of the stick once again as the Knights went 6-4. Fortunately, he knew a guy named Danny White, who had just been hired by Tennessee as its new athletic director.

White would never admit it, but Heupel probably wasn’t his first choice despite the friendly relationship. Heupel had success at Central Florida, but the SEC was a totally different animal. He couldn’t be expected to recruit against the Sabans and Smarts of the world, right? Surely, his offense was just a gimmick that elite defensive coordinators in the SEC would figure out quicker than his offense reels off big plays. Well, both have proven to be absurd in retrospect.

It would be easy for Heupel to sound out a revenge-fuelled rally cry against Oklahoma, even if it were behind closed doors. Heupel won’t do that. His approach is boring. He just plugs away no matter the opponent. Will Tennessee’s players lay it all on the line this week for their beloved head coach? Not any more than they did in a 71-0 romp against Kent State on Saturday. 

“I just want to win, man,” Mays said. “Who cares about all that extra stuff?”

That’s not Mays being insensitive. That, is in part, Coop being Coop. However, it’s also a clear indication of how he and his teammates have been coached. They’re not going to get all jazzed up for the Sooners because of ancient history just like they weren’t going to play down to Kent State because, well, the Golden Flashes are really, really bad.

If Heupel learned anything from his time at Oklahoma and was willing to admit to it, he probably was determined to create a positive culture wherever he coached. He’s certainly done so at Tennessee. As for Oklahoma, things seem to be on the rise. Sooner head coach Brent Venables went 6-7 in his first season in 2022 and followed that up with a 10-3 run last season. Oklahoma is currently 3-0 but have struggled against lessor foes. It must be hard for some fans not to gaze west at what Heupel is doing at Tennessee.

It’s always natural to wonder if Heupel could return home, especially if he has a national championship on his record and could name his next coaching spot. However, Heupel wouldn’t likely give the current administration the time of day if they came calling. If there was ever a change in that administration and Heupel continues to have success, then who knows? That’s a lot of “ifs.”

Heupel seems destined to coach Tennessee for years to come. And yes, I’m aware of that whole Lane Kiffin fiasco. That, however, was ages ago. So was Heupel’s time at Oklahoma. The emotions are certainly still there, but don’t expect Heupel to say a word about them this week leading into his homecoming. This isn’t just another week. This isn’t just another game. However, Heupel has proven that he’s not just another coach. 

Heupel has proven he’s steadfast in his weekly approach. That’s why the Vols are 3-0 and the hottest team in the nation. Heupel isn’t going to risk that by bringing emotions into play.