ESPN says Heupel is part of Leach’s coaching tree

[A Typical Vol Fan]

I was watching the LSU-Mississippi State game, and ESPN said that Josh Heupel is part of the Mike Leach coaching tree. Where did they coach together? I’m positive that they never did. Anyone know what they were alluding to here?

 

[Jaxon_Vol2017]

I was watching the LSU-Mississippi State game, and ESPN said that Josh Heupel is part of the Mike Leach coaching tree. Where did they coach together? I’m positive that they never did. Anyone know what they were alluding to here?View attachment 490926

At Texas Tech maybe?

 

[AustinMem]

Leach coached him at OU. Was his OC/QB coach. Definitely a bit of a stretch to call him a part of the tree

 

[VolMarine1371]

I was watching the LSU-Mississippi State game, and ESPN said that Josh Heupel is part of the Mike Leach coaching tree. Where did they coach together? I’m positive that they never did. Anyone know what they were alluding to here?View attachment 490926

Prolly closer to the Stoops coaching tree than the Pirate.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Prolly closer to the Stoops coaching tree than the Pirate.

Heupel worked directly under Leach at OU.

 

[ENGRVOL]

More like a coaching plank

 

[Halph66]

More like a coaching plank

Argggg!

 

[wmcovol]

OU connection.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Heupel worked directly under Leach at OU.

OU connection.

Not as a coach.

Yes, Josh played QB for Bob Stoops and Mike Leach for one year, in 1999. Notably, Josh's national championship season, in 2000, Leach was already gone to his new job at Texas Tech.

But more to the OP's point, no, Josh never worked as a coach for Leach.

From 2000 (while Josh was still a college player) to present, Mike Leach has only ever coached at three places: Texas Tech, Washington State, and Mississippi State.

Josh Heupel never coached at any of those schools:

• 2004 - first coaching job: Oklahoma graduate assistant
• 2005 - Arizona (Tight Ends)
• 2006-2014 - Oklahoma (QBs, then OC/QBs)
• 2015 - Utah State (AHC/OC/QBs)
• 2016-2017 - Mizzou (OC/QBs)
• 2018-2020 - UCF (Head Coach)
• 2021-present - Vols (Head Coach)

As you can see, no points of connection.

Josh Heupel is not part of Mike Leach's coaching tree. Not at all.

Go Vols!

p.s. Typically, only head coaches build "coaching tree" credits. Even if you counted players as branches on coaching trees (no one does), you would credit Stoops rather than Leach for Heupel's time at QB.

 

[VolMarine1371]

Heupel worked directly under Leach at OU.

Which worked under Stoops.

 

[Vol865]

Yet it's Art Briles' offense

 

[VolBallGuy]

Argggg!

I saw Mike Leach’s favorite movie the other day. It was rated Arghhhhhhhh.

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Yet it's Art Briles' offense

I would say Hal Mumme's.

I don't know that Mumme and Briles ever coached together; I couldn't find any overlap. But they were both Texas high school coaches at roughly the same time before transitioning to college (Mumme to Iowa Wesleyan and Valdosta State before landing at Kentucky in '97, Briles to Texas Tech (RB) in '00, then Houston in '03, and finally Baylor).

TL;DR is, Mumme was becoming famous for the Air Raid offense in the college game at least six years before Briles. I think they were in that coaching circle who visited each other in the off-season, so it seems certain they were comparing notes and pushing the envelope together.

So I'd call Mumme the granddaddy of the form of offense Heupel has taken and adapted into something all his own.

Go Vols!

 

[Vol865]

I would say Hal Mumme's.

I don't know that Mumme and Briles ever coached together; I couldn't find any overlap. But they were both Texas high school coaches at roughly the same time before transitioning to college (Mumme to Iowa Wesleyan and Valdosta State before landing at Kentucky in '97, Briles to Texas Tech (RB) in '00, then Houston in '03, and finally Baylor).

TL;DR is, Mumme was becoming famous for the Air Raid offense in the college game at least six years before Briles. I think they were in that coaching circle who visited each other in the off-season, so it seems certain they were comparing notes and pushing the envelope together.

So I'd call Mumme the granddaddy of the form of offense Heupel has taken and adapted into something all his own.

Go Vols!

Our offense uses Run N Shoot concepts. There may be some Air Raid sprinkled in but it's primarily Run N Shoot. That's why there are so many options routes and heavy use of the Switch concept. Art Briles modified this to the Veer N Shoot and incorporated wide splits and an option offense.

 

[VAVol85]

Leach coached him at OU. Was his OC/QB coach. Definitely a bit of a stretch to call him a part of the tree

Not surprising to see Leach get more credit than he deserves IMHO.

The guy has coached for 20 years and has 2 Division Championships and 0 Conference Championships. I guess he gets credit for making the most out of some bad coaching assignments and he says funny things, but I have never understood the love Leach gets.

 

[Remy]

Leach coached him at OU. Was his OC/QB coach. Definitely a bit of a stretch to call him a part of the tree

That sounds like something Leach came up with over one of those off the record moments.

 

[YankeeVol]

Heupel worked directly under Leach at OU.

uh, no

 

[vol66]

I was watching the LSU-Mississippi State game, and ESPN said that Josh Heupel is part of the Mike Leach coaching tree. Where did they coach together? I’m positive that they never did. Anyone know what they were alluding to here?View attachment 490926

I think you could call every offensive head coach mentioned in this thread, as part of the tree of Mouse Davis (still waiting on the movie) and Glen “Tiger” Ellison. There may be more motions and blocking schemes, but it all comes from there.

 

[Fightmaker]

That sounds like something Leach came up with over one of those off the record moments.

Followed up by Bigfoot buries their own dead.

 

[rocytop2624]

Leach coached him at OU. Was his OC/QB coach. Definitely a bit of a stretch to call him a part of the tree

He uses Aspects of the Air raid and Briles system with some of his on mix. But yes technically he is part of Leach coaching Tree.

 

[Vol8188]

I would say Hal Mumme's.

I don't know that Mumme and Briles ever coached together; I couldn't find any overlap. But they were both Texas high school coaches at roughly the same time before transitioning to college (Mumme to Iowa Wesleyan and Valdosta State before landing at Kentucky in '97, Briles to Texas Tech (RB) in '00, then Houston in '03, and finally Baylor).

TL;DR is, Mumme was becoming famous for the Air Raid offense in the college game at least six years before Briles. I think they were in that coaching circle who visited each other in the off-season, so it seems certain they were comparing notes and pushing the envelope together.

So I'd call Mumme the granddaddy of the form of offense Heupel has taken and adapted into something all his own.

Go Vols!

What Briles runs is nowhere near the same as Mumme. Yes Briles worked for Leach, but Briles never ran the air raid.

The air raid is just a spread version of the west coast offense. What Briles runs (and UT) is closer to the run n shoot than the west coast

 

[rocytop2624]

Which worked under Stoops.

Stoops was defense.

 

[Vol8188]

I think you could call every offensive head coach mentioned in this thread, as part of the tree of Mouse Davis (still waiting on the movie) and Glen “Tiger” Ellison. There may be more motions and blocking schemes, but it all comes from there.

We motion less than Mouse Davis and Ellison because of our speed. Probably use less blocking schemes too.

But no, I wouldn’t call Leach a part of that tree. Heupel and Briles, 100%. But not Leach

 

[Vol8188]

Heupel worked directly under Leach at OU.

No he didn’t

 

[Jeff Clark]

Coach Heupel is part of the Bob Stoops Coaching Tree.