There's one more move Josh Heupel needs to make this offseason and it involves a Tennessee Vols legend
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols have had a productive offseason. Tennessee addressed several key team needs in the NCAA transfer portal, they retained everyone on their roster they were hoping to retain, and they successfully replaced assistant coach Mike Ekeler with popular analyst LeVorn Harbin. There's still one more move Heupel can make this […]
Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Vols have had a productive offseason.
Tennessee addressed several key team needs in the NCAA transfer portal, they retained everyone on their roster they were hoping to retain, and they successfully replaced assistant coach Mike Ekeler with popular analyst LeVorn Harbin.
There's still one more move Heupel can make this offseason, however, that would help Tennessee's program.
And it involves a Vols legend.
Earlier this offseason, the New England Patriots fired Jerod Mayo as the franchise's head coach. Mayo lasted just one season in New England before getting fired (more on that here).
Mayo, who was a star linebacker at Tennessee from 2004 to 2007, was regarded as a rising star in the coaching business before his one tumultuous season as the Patriots' head coach (it wasn't an ideal situation for Mayo).
I think Mayo is still that same rising star, but he needs a bit of a reset after that year in New England. He could also use a new environment. Mayo's entire pro career was spent in New England. He had never experienced a non-Bill Belichick staff in the NFL before taking over as the Patriots' head coach.
Heupel should bring Mayo back to Knoxville as a defensive analyst for the 2025 season.
Mayo would be an instant asset for the Vols considering the wealth of NFL knowledge he'd bring to the room. And he could see how a college setup works in 2025 (which is far different than it was during his playing days) which would in turn have him even more prepared to excel as an NFL coach (or who knows, maybe he'll like it in the college ranks).
It's a win-win for everyone. It would help Tennessee's current team, it would help Mayo reboot his career, and Vols fans would absolutely love it.
