Josh Heupel’s system is a proven success. What the Tennessee Football offense has missed ever since the departure of offensive coordinator Alex Golesh is that outsider’s mind in the room to add some creativity and sizzle to what he does. Golesh, and even Jeff Lebby when he was with the UCF Knights, provided that.
The promotion of Joey Halzle, who has been a career Heupel assistant since playing under him with the Oklahoma Sooners, along with guys like Kelsey Pope and Alec Ablen, have made it clear he doesn’t want anymore fresh set of eyes in the room. His most recent hire puts an exclamation point on that.
Heupel has reportedly hired Seth Littrell as a new Tennessee Football offensive analyst, according to Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel. Littrell was a running back on the 2000 OU national title team that Heupel quarterbacked, and they were co-captains of the team. They’re also good friends.
See the pattern? Once again, Heupel went with comfortability.
There is nothing in Littrell’s past to suggest he will bring anything extra to the table for the Vols. OU just parted ways with him in the middle of last season, where he was the OC, due to historically bad production on that side of the ball. Yes, he couldn’t even produce enough offense for Brent Venables.
From 2016 to 2022, Littrell was head coach of the North Texas Mean Green. His average scoring offense ranking during that time was 46th nationally, which isn’t bad but is far below standards of a head coach with an offensive background at a Group of Five program.
Before that, Littrell spent two years with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Arizona Wildcats and Indiana Hoosiers each as an OC, and while he averaged over 40 points once at UNC, that was under Larry Fedoera, who did so regularly during his tenure there. Simply put, he was nothing special.
So why is Heupel bringing him in? Analysts are supposed to help coaches see the field in a way different from how they see it. That’s the whole point. Does anybody think Littrell’s going to bring even a slither of that to an offense that is run by Heupel.
Both coaches are products of the Mark Mangino/Mike Leach era. Heupel added his own creative twist to the offense, but Littrell never did. All this will do is reinforce every direction Heupel wants to take, and that’s not a good situation for the program. Heupel’s refusal to branch out could be his undoing. This hire does nothing.
