Former Vols OC Alex Golesh makes strong statement about the culture Josh Heupel inherited at Tennessee
The culture at Tennessee right now under current Vols football coach Josh Heupel could best be described as positive. Players are happy to be at the facility. Coaches are happy to be working with each other. There's no in-fighting or whispers about unhappy players behind the scenes. The vibes are good as they could possibly […]
The culture at Tennessee right now under current Vols football coach Josh Heupel could best be described as positive.
Players are happy to be at the facility. Coaches are happy to be working with each other.
There's no in-fighting or whispers about unhappy players behind the scenes. The vibes are good as they could possibly be on Rocky Top these days which is a far cry from how things were in Knoxville just a couple of years ago.
After Heupel took over as the Vols' head coach in early 2021, players weren't shy about discussing the negative environment that was present under Jeremy Pruitt, Heupel's predecessor at Tennessee.
"With the previous staff, it was more of a military-style of practices," said Vols linebacker Bryson Eason during spring practice in 2021. "It was very strict. This practice is more catered to us, the team, and the players. It's just a whole different kind of energy level."
Former Vols offensive coordinator Alex Golesh, who left Knoxville this offseason to become the new head coach at USF, recently answered some questions from The Athletic about what it was like taking over at Tennessee in 2021.
Golesh referenced the "negativity" that was present under Pruitt.
“It’s 100 percent who you follow,” said Golesh when asked about the transition to a new program. “Heup was the complete opposite (of Pruitt). The culture at Tennessee was extremely negative; kids didn’t want to be around the facility. I think he was 100 percent mindful of that.”
According to The Athletic, Heupel's message to his staff at Tennessee was for them to be extremely positive with the players.
The positivity from Heupel and his staff made a massive impact on the players at Tennessee. There's still accountability under Heupel — don't make the same mistake twice is a phrase you might hear from Heupel during a practice — but the environment is still fun.
Heupel isn't just a genius when it comes to schemes, but he's also a genius when it comes to building a sustainable culture. And we're seeing that in action at Tennessee.
