Comments from assistant coach and senior DB show how much Josh Heupel has improved Tennessee Vols' culture
One of the most impressive things Josh Heupel did during his first season as the Tennessee Vols' head coach was changing a culture that was a complete disaster at this time a year ago. Previous Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt left the program in shambles. Players weren't being held accountable. They skipped meetings and workouts. […]
One of the most impressive things Josh Heupel did during his first season as the Tennessee Vols' head coach was changing a culture that was a complete disaster at this time a year ago.
Previous Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt left the program in shambles. Players weren't being held accountable. They skipped meetings and workouts. Very few players stayed at the facility to put in extra work. Football, essentially, took a back seat under Pruitt.
"Before Coach Heupel got here, guys were ready to leave this place and pretty much did what they wanted to," said Vols offensive lineman Jerome Carvin to ESPN this week.
"I mean, after practice, they'd get up out of here and would be gone," added Carvin. "Now, guys want to stay, watch film and just hang out."
Vols defensive line coach Rodney Garner, who was one of Heupel's first hires at UT, wasn't part of the Pruitt era at UT. But he had to deal with the fallout of a head coach who had no clue how to run a program.
"In the first two weeks, I had more misses — missed meetings, late to meetings, missed class sessions — than I did in my previous 31 years," said Garner to ESPN recently.
It's impossible to be a successful program if accountability isn't present.
Heupel, however, has brought accountability to Rocky Top.
"[Heupel] set the tone and let it be known that everything matters," said Garner. "We weren't going to be a bunch of individuals."
Senior defensive back Theo Jackson is out of eligibility. He's played his last game at Tennessee. But he believes the program is heading for great things under Heupel. And it's because of the growth the Vols experienced in Heupel's first season.
"Coming off of last year, we were all falling apart," said Jackson after Tennessee's loss to Purdue on Thursday night. "As soon as Coach Heup and his staff got here, it just started. That was way higher than what we had it. Just growth. The young guys, I've seen a change in them, just like doing what the older guys, myself and Hendon and Ced are doing. Just extra stuff. Growth is really the biggest thing."
This culture change is likely the biggest reason that players like Hendon Hooker and Cedric Tillman are returning to Tennessee for one more season.
Heupel has created an environment where players enjoy playing for the Vols. They love being around the facility and around each other.
That culture is going to translate to a lot of wins for the Vols. Tennessee didn't play with a full deck this season — losing over 30 players from the roster last season was a lot to overcome. But moving forward, this is a program that should continue to improve every season.
It could be a fun ride for Vols fans once Heupel gets a full roster and a few recruiting classes under his belt.
Featured image via Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK/Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
