Will Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel be a target for the Oklahoma Sooners?
On Saturday night, Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley emphatically said he would not be the next head coach at LSU. Riley wasn't lying. Instead of taking the job at LSU, Riley is taking the USC job. This is a bit of a surprise, but I'm guessing Riley sees an easier path to a national championship at USC […]
On Saturday night, Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley emphatically said he would not be the next head coach at LSU.
Riley wasn't lying.
Instead of taking the job at LSU, Riley is taking the USC job.
This is a bit of a surprise, but I'm guessing Riley sees an easier path to a national championship at USC than he does at Oklahoma (especially with the Sooners soon moving to the SEC).
Now that the Oklahoma job is open, the attention turns to Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel (at least the attention of everyone in East Tennessee).
Heupel won a national championship at Oklahoma as a quarterback under Bob Stoops in 2000. He also coached under Stoops from 2006-2014.
Would the Sooners turn to Heupel to lead the program?
That's not an easy question to answer.
The Oklahoma/Heupel relationship ended poorly. Heupel was fired by Stoops after the 2014 season, even though Heupel's offense ranked No. 21 in the nation.
Heupel reportedly hasn't spoken with Stoops since being fired in 2014.
It doesn't seem likely that Heupel would be targeted by Oklahoma because of that strained relationship (Stoops is still heavily involved with the program).
And because I don't think the Sooners fan base would accept hiring a head coach who was previously fired by the program.
But college football is wild, so you never say never.
One thing that Vol fans should take solace in is the fact that there are a couple of other options that make a lot of sense for Oklahoma.
First off, Stoops will obviously be asked if he wants to take over the program that he stepped down from in 2016. There's been rumblings that Stoops has the itch to coach again. And he's only 61. It wouldn't shock me if he returned to Norman.
The next option that makes sense is Mark Stoops.
The Kentucky head coach has a longer track record of success than Heupel. Plus he's Bob Stoops' brother. I wouldn't be shocked if he's the top option for the Sooners.
Beyond the Stoops brothers, another potential option is Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, who proved he can have success in the Big 12 while coaching at Baylor.
Rhule isn't doing so hot with the Panthers, so it wouldn't be a surprise if he returned to the college game.
Ultimately, I don't think Vol fans need to worry about Heupel leaving after one season. But thanks to Lane Kiffin's decision to bolt from Tennessee after one season in 2009, it's going to be a slight concern until someone takes the Oklahoma job.
Featured image via Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
