If you’re looking for a better fit at Tennessee than coach Josh Heupel, good luck. If your’e looking for a better coach, that’s possible, but not as easy as you might think.
Heupel, who was named The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week after the Vols win over Alabama on Saturday, should be at the top of any school’s wish list for a coach who is required to build a program, or even keep one chugging at a high level. Not that anyone is suggesting a change. Heupel is perfect right where he is, but his standing among other coaches is stronger than you think.
Let’s start with those coaches currently in college that have won a championship.
Clemson’s Dabo Swinney has proven his worth with two championships, but he’s faded slightly. Clemson, which is 6-1, may be undergoing a renaissance currently, but that’s against ACC competition, which is no match for what Heupel’s team, which is also 6-1, has faced in the SEC.
North Carolina coach Mack Brown won a championship at Texas, but does anyone think he’s got another national championship run in him, especially considering he doesn’t have a quarterback like Vince Young?
There’s no arguing that Georgia’s Kirby Smart would be more coveted by most any athletic director than Heupel, but after that, things get interesting. Suffice to say that Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer is off the list after Heupel just beat him.
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin might be comparable to Heupel, but there would certainly be a debate based on their recent resumes. Oregon’s Dan Lanning is doing incredible things, but there still would be a debate there as well.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day was thought to be the next great thing in college football, but he has yet to achieve anywhere near the hype he recovered before being named the head coach of Ohio State, which was seemly set up for a dynasty run with a stocked roster. Day, however, hasn’t won a championship since 2020.
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is doing great things at Indiana, but he’s 63-years-old so he wouldn’t likely be considered for an upper-level program. Colorado coach Deion Sanders should be considered a good coach, but the jury is till out of “Primetime” and there’s plenty of baggage to go along with hiring him.
LSU coach Brian Kelly and Texas A&M coach Mike Elko would be in the conversation of most coveted coaches, but neither more than Heupel is currently. Southern California coach Lincoln Riley would have been the conversation, but his Trojans are falling apart.
Looking for another coach with a brighter future than Heupel with a proven track record at a Power Five program.? There’s just not one. Heupel has to be considered one of the very elite coaches in college football. Part of that has to do with former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh going to the NFL and former Alabama coach Nick Saban retiring.
Quite simply, there are more seats at the big-boy college football coaching table.The victory over Alabama was Heupel’s 11th over a ranked opponent at Tennessee. That total is the third-best in the nation since the start of the 2021 season.
There might be questions about Heupel on a play here, a personnel choice there, but there’s no questioning he’s among the very best college football coaches in the nation.
