Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel had best be careful just how critical he is of players transferring to other schools. He might soon find himself in the same situation. Surely, he doesn’t want to be a hypocrite.
Heupel may soon have a Nico Iamaleava-like decision to make if things go south at his alma mater. ESPN insider Chris Low recently said “never say never” on The Next Round when discussing the possibility of the Vols head coach returning to the Oklahoma Sooners.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables could be on his way out of Norman if he doesn’t improve on his 6-7 record last season. Venables went 10-3 in 2023 and 6-7 in 2022. Having another losing season could seal his fate. That would be three out of four at one of the top schools in the country. Eeesh.
Hiring Heupel would make a lot of sense. Venables is a defensive-minded coach. Heupel, who played quarterback for the Sooners, would be a breath of fresh air as a coach who relies on his offense. However, there are likely still some hard feelings between the two parties. Oklahoma fired Heupel as its offensive coordinator following the 2014 season.
Time can heal all wounds, but it’s complicated in this case. Heupel still has plenty of friends, a la former teammates, associated with the Oklahoma program. Many showed up to support him, as well as their former school, when the Vols played at Oklahoma last season. However, there’s one reason Heupel may never head back to the Sooner state.
Former championship head coach Bob Stoops is still very involved with the Oklahoma program. Despite coaching Heupel and mentoring him, Stoops is the one that fired him a decade ago. That probably still stings.
Do I see Heupel ever returning to Oklahoma? I’m not going to rule it out. However, I doubt it. Do I see Heupel coaching another five or more years at Tennessee? I think that’s up to the Vols more than Heupel? He needs to continue to win games and be a championship contender. The Vols were that last season as they made the college football playoff.
I also don’t thing think Tennessee would be down-and-out if Heupel left, as it had been during some recent coaching hires. Led by athletic director Danny White, UT is a much better athletic department than is has been over the last 15 years.
Tennessee and Heupel’s future together relies on wins and losses. It also relies on how Heupel manages his roster. If the Iamaleava situation is any indication, there could be rocky roads.
