National media outlet ranks SEC head coaches ahead of spring practice; where Tennessee's Josh Heupel lands
On3 ranked the 16 SEC head coaches on Monday and Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel didn't quite crack the top five. Heupel came in at No. 6 in On3's rankings, just behind Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. From On3: A year after leading the Vols to their […]
On3 ranked the 16 SEC head coaches on Monday and Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel didn't quite crack the top five.
Heupel came in at No. 6 in On3's rankings, just behind Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin.
From On3: A year after leading the Vols to their best season in nearly 25 years, Heupel managed to win nine games in 2023 despite erratic quarterback play. That shouldn’t be an issue in the future, though, as the Nico Iamaleava era starts this fall and 2025 5-star commit George MacIntyre is waiting in the wings.
Heupel’s go-go offense has caught the attention of some of the best quarterbacks and wide receiver prospects in the country, but if the Vols are going to take the next step as a program, they have to start recruiting better than a fringe Top 10 program.
Still, Heupel inherited a mess three years ago and has proven to be a strong hire for Tennessee. He’s hired quality assistants, and the Vols have become a preeminent player development program.
The "mess" that Heupel inherited in early 2021 is the biggest reason why Heupel should be inside the top five of On3's rankings.
And it's not that I think he should be ranked above Sarkisian or Kiffin (I think Heupel is probably the better coach, but Kiffin has a slightly better SEC record over the last three years).
Instead, I think Heupel should be ranked above new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who has never coached a game in the SEC.
(The same can be said about Sarkisian, but he earned a win against Nick Saban and Alabama in Tuscaloosa last season, which gives him the edge.)
DeBoer is a complete wild card and no one knows how he will fare as an SEC head coach. He could find instant success or he could be out of the league in two years like former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin. There's really no way for anyone to know, which is why it's surprising that he's getting so much respect in most of the SEC head coach rankings that have dropped this spring.
Heupel will get his chance to prove on the field that he's a better SEC head coach than DeBoer when Tennessee hosts Alabama on October 19.
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