Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel will do something this fall that no coach at UT has done since Phillip Fulmer.

He’ll begin a sixth season as Tennessee’s head football coach.

None of Heupel’s four predecessors — Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones, and Jeremy Pruitt — reached that milestone on Rocky Top.

Jones, in fact, was the only one that came close (he was fired during his fifth season at UT).

Heupel has brought long-needed stability to Tennessee’s football program. He’s made rivalries with Florida and Alabama competitive again, and he even took the Vols to the College Football Playoff in 2024.

College football fans and decision makers, however, have short memories these days — just ask James Franklin, who was fired less than a year after nearly leading Penn State to the national championship game.

Heupel, unsurprisingly, is hearing some noise this offseason after going 8-5 in year five with a blowout home loss to Vanderbilt (the Vols’ first loss to the Commodores since 2018).

Now, I don’t think the noise is fair — Heupel lost his starting quarterback last spring, and his starting cornerbacks (Rickey Gibson and Jermod McCoy, both projected first round picks) played a combined 19 snaps last season.

Some years are like that.

Still, a 7-5 regular season or worse in 2026 could crank up the heat on Heupel’s seat.

The Athletic’s Seth Emerson dishes on whether Josh Heupel’s job could be in danger in 2026

The Athletic’s Seth Emerson, a longtime college football writer, was asked by a reader this week if Heupel’s job should be considered in danger.

Emerson point blank said Heupel’s job shouldn’t be in danger, while also questioning if Tennessee’s head coach has a “ceiling”.

“Josh Heupel shouldn’t be in danger,” wrote Emerson. “He has done a great job making Tennessee relevant again. But I’ve always wondered if there’s a ceiling with him, and Volunteer fans are wondering that now and getting antsy. His athletic director, Danny White, is a pretty aggressive guy, but he has also hired Heupel twice.”

I think that’s a more than fair take from Emerson. Heupel has Tennessee pointed in the right direction. The Vols are just a few details away from being an annual championship contender. But those few details — discipline in close games, clock management, etc — are the hardest to master. That’s why I think it’s fair to question if Heupel has a ceiling. And to be clear, I’m not saying he does or doesn’t, but it’s going to be a question until he proves he doesn’t.

Unless things just fall apart in Knoxville this season — I don’t think there’s a record prediction that’s fair in that regard — Heupel should be safe. And based on some of the things we’ve seen him navigate (Nico Iamaleava and Boo Carter situations, specifically), I think he’ll keep things stable regardless of what the results on the field are in 2026.

Heupel and his staff have continued to recruit well, they’ve made necessary staff changes (new defensive coordinator and new strength coach were hired this offseason), and the vibes are still positive, from what we can see, in the locker room. For now, that’s all Heupel can control — at least until the season starts.

Tennessee Volunteers News

‘People are really interested in what’s going to happen with Tennessee’ – Insider talks Rick Barnes and the future of UT basketball

Tennessee Vols head coach Rick Barnes isn’t getting any younger.

Zach Ragan