National media outlet grades Josh Heupel's second season as Tennessee Vols' head coach
CBS Sports graded each second-year college football head coach this week and they thought highly of the job that Josh Heupel did with the Tennessee Vols in year two. Tom Fornelli, a college football writer for CBS Sports, gave Heupel an "A" for his second-year performance in Knoxville. From CBS Sports: When Tennessee hired Heupel, […]
CBS Sports graded each second-year college football head coach this week and they thought highly of the job that Josh Heupel did with the Tennessee Vols in year two.
Tom Fornelli, a college football writer for CBS Sports, gave Heupel an "A" for his second-year performance in Knoxville.
When Tennessee hired Heupel, it was a move that made sense to me, but it wasn't one I thought would be anything special. The program was under the threat of NCAA penalties and had not only been disappointing on the field but boring to watch. If nothing else, Heupel's offense would make things fun on Rocky Top. Things have certainly been fun, but I didn't see 2022 coming. The Vols went 11-2 this season, knocked off Alabama for what felt like the first time since the late 1800s, and finished the season with an Orange Bowl win over Clemson. The losses to Georgia and South Carolina, along with an injury to Hendon Hooker, kept them from being a pure fairy tale, but that was the most fun any Vols fan has had watching their football team in a long time.
No coach that was graded by Fornelli received a higher grade than Heupel.
How did other second-year SEC coaches grade out compared to Josh Heupel?
Heupel had three SEC counterparts on the list along with him.
Bryan Harsin, who was fired by Auburn before the end of the 2022 season, received an "F".
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who is 1-1 against Heupel after the Gamecocks' 25-point win against the Vols in 2022, received a "B+".
Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, who almost got to six wins this season with the Commodores, received a "B".
If not for the loss to South Carolina, you have to think that Heupel would've received an "A+" (the loss to Georgia wasn't necessarily a negative considering the talent gap). The "A", however, feels appropriate.
Heupel is blowing past expectations already at Tennessee. You have to imagine that things are only going to continue to trend up for the Vols with Heupel running the show.
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
