Tennessee Vols: One thing that stood out about Josh Heupel's signing day press conference
The Tennessee Vols had themselves quite a day on Wednesday. UT signed 19 players on the first day of the early signing period (defensive lineman Jordan Phillips had already enrolled last week), ending the day with the No. 13 ranked 2022 class in the nation. Just a couple of months ago, the Vols were barely […]
The Tennessee Vols had themselves quite a day on Wednesday.
UT signed 19 players on the first day of the early signing period (defensive lineman Jordan Phillips had already enrolled last week), ending the day with the No. 13 ranked 2022 class in the nation.
Just a couple of months ago, the Vols were barely inside the top 40 in recruiting. The job that Josh Heupel and his staff have done over the last few weeks has been simply incredible.
A lot of folks doubted Heupel's recruiting ability — which was completely fair. He was an unknown when it came to being a head coach in the SEC.
But Heupel proved this week that he definitely has what it takes to recruit at a high level in the SEC.
On Wednesday afternoon, Heupel spoke about the 20 players that Tennessee is welcoming to the program. And there was one specific thing about his press conference that stood out.
Heupel completely deflected the attention away from himself. He made sure to start his press conference by thanking everyone associated with Tennessee — specifically his assistants and the off-field recruiting staff that is mostly hidden from the public eye. Heupel also made it a point to thank the faculty and staff at Tennessee as well.
"I want to thank our staff — obviously our 10 on-field coaches, but really, it's everybody here," said Heupel. "Our recruiting department on campus led by Angelia Brummett just did a fantastic job and her passion for Tennessee, being a former student here and having worked here previously, showed throughout this entire process. I want to thank her team."
"Our content team did a fantastic job getting up and running 10 and a half months ago and (I'm) so appreciative of what they've done. To the faculty and staff on campus, you're a huge part of the experience our recruits have on campus, and I cannot thank you enough for showing them (around), taking the time to show them what it means to be a Volunteer. That's a huge part of their experience, so thank you very much. Our staff, the 10 main recruiters, just the time, effort, and energy that they put into this over the last 10 and a half months."
Heupel wasn't lying when he said he wants to create a family atmosphere at Tennessee. And that goes beyond the players on the field — Heupel appreciates and connects with everyone associated with UT.
I doubt we'll be hearing any stories about how hard it is to work with Heupel. In fact, I think we'll be hearing the opposite.
It's obvious that there's a new culture on Rocky Top. And it's absolutely for the better.
Featured image via Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
