Heupel interview with ESPN

[LA vol7]

I say win them all! And it starts with Ball St! Gonna put a beat down on them and enjoy every minute of it!

 

[lukeneyland]

My personal opinion is Josh is a good but nowhere near being a great coach.

I don’t even believe he was the best coach available when he was hired just the best one available for UT in the wake of the Pruitt mess.

With all of that said coaches especially young ones are recruited and hired for upside just like players are recruited for potential. I think Danny White was smart enough to know with CJH’s outlook on family/relationships and as you put it his “great mental acuity and insight in all these aspects of the game” I think CJH could be a great coach if he grows into his full potential. CJH was a leader when he played, if he can lead and continue to grow as a coach as he gets more head coaching experience then there is no ceiling for CJH and the volunteers moving forward.

My 2 cents.

What is the metric you use to determine a great coach?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

My personal opinion is Josh is a good but nowhere near being a great coach.

I don’t even believe he was the best coach available when he was hired just the best one available for UT in the wake of the Pruitt mess.

With all of that said coaches especially young ones are recruited and hired for upside just like players are recruited for potential. I think Danny White was smart enough to know with CJH’s outlook on family/relationships and as you put it his “great mental acuity and insight in all these aspects of the game” I think CJH could be a great coach if he grows into his full potential. CJH was a leader when he played, if he can lead and continue to grow as a coach as he gets more head coaching experience then there is no ceiling for CJH and the volunteers moving forward.

My 2 cents.

We might be falling into a tautology.

If you define "a great coach" as a coach who has accomplished great things, like championships and undefeated seasons, then by definition, you are right.

But I'm more leaning in the direction of SJT's comments in this thread. A great coach must first and foremost be a great leader. And, on top of that, very intelligent at the game of football and all its components. A great head coach must on top of that have excellent organizational skill and the ability to diversify his effort (think of all the non-football things the university asks of our head coaches).

For me, if a coach shows talent in many or all of those areas, he can be labeled at least a very good coach, if not great, even before the on-field proof is delivered.

Again, we're probably only going to talk past each other because our definitions vary. Either way, we both seem to see promise in him, and look forward to finding out if he's the guy who can take us back to championship football.

Go Vols!

 

[SpookyAction]

Our guys play like crazy for him. Tooth and Nail.
We haven't had that since the last SEC Championship Game loss.

 

[OrangeTsar]

There is something intangible about Heupel that makes it easy to like him. I never really liked Dooley, Jones, or Pruitt as people. Heupel is different. The kids live him and it shows. He mixes that personality with an obvious knowledge of the game and an ability to motivate. It is still early in his career; but I like what i see so far

 

[ReelfootVol]

I am in complete agreement. I was guilty of "looking toward the bright side" with the prior coaches. I stopped that with Pruitt. I wasn't pro or con on Pruitt. I tried to be as objective as possible. I hope I am looking at CJH the same way. Is he a perfect coach? No. Do we have areas in our team performance that are concerning? Yes. But top to bottom, I like far more than I dislike. IF he is the coach i think he is, we will eventually be competitive against our rivals which puts us in the national championship conversation. I also think he gives UT the best opportunity to have a Heisman winner since we were robbed 25 years ago.

Heisman winners.............turned into a political contest IN MY OPINION..............example: not only Heupel got a screwing but look at Peyton Manning ! i PAY NO ATTENTION TO THIS FIASCO ANYMORE. The winner will come from the area with the most media coverage.

 

[Pappy]

I guess my flaw is that I see a glass as both half full and half empty... with potential to be either empty or full depending on what happens next.

I'm thinking that the glass is too big to start with....

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Heisman winners.............turned into a political contest IN MY OPINION..............example: not only Heupel got a screwing but look at Peyton Manning ! i PAY NO ATTENTION TO THIS FIASCO ANYMORE. The winner will come from the area with the most media coverage.

Agreed.

There has always been a degree of Mid-Western, Upper East Coast, and (thanks to the Rose Bowl and its Pac10-Big10 tie-ins) West Coast elitism and snobbery in the Heisman voting.

Nothing absolute, but it's there in the background of the award.

 

[miket4god]

I guess my flaw is that I see a glass as both half full and half empty... with potential to be either empty or full depending on what happens next.

Realistic approach

 

[Johnnyreb#VFL]

Good article. What stood out to me most were 3 words.

Added Edge Rushers

 

[JohnWardForever]

The three games you refer to all had screw jobs by the refs sprinkled in. Not saying that’s the only reason but it detracts from your argument

Pack the mustard......

 

[njvols]

My personal opinion is Josh is a good but nowhere near being a great coach.

I don’t even believe he was the best coach available when he was hired just the best one available for UT in the wake of the Pruitt mess.

With all of that said coaches especially young ones are recruited and hired for upside just like players are recruited for potential. I think Danny White was smart enough to know with CJH’s outlook on family/relationships and as you put it his “great mental acuity and insight in all these aspects of the game” I think CJH could be a great coach if he grows into his full potential. CJH was a leader when he played, if he can lead and continue to grow as a coach as he gets more head coaching experience then there is no ceiling for CJH and the volunteers moving forward.

My 2 cents.

I would agree...Mel Tucker or Sam Pittman would also have been good choices...until JH, it's been more about UT making the wrong choice, instead of a good choice or a great choice. So much has to also do w/ entire UTAD culture, which attracts talent, and finally got the AD right. It was added advantage that JH and White had existing relationship, and JH has band width for the job.

 

[Old Spice]

I'm thinking that the glass is too big to start with....

one of the best responses to this, I think I am gonna use this from now on ,,,well done

 

[VolPack22]

There is something intangible about Heupel that makes it easy to like him. I never really liked Dooley, Jones, or Pruitt as people. Heupel is different. The kids live him and it shows. He mixes that personality with an obvious knowledge of the game and an ability to motivate. It is still early in his career; but I like what i see so far

It helps to be a former All-American D-1 quarterback that won a national championship. There’s not too many of those walking around.

 

[Behr]

I really like how CJH is approaching NIL. He brings a relevant perspective which should be an advantage for UT

Collectives linked to Tennessee's athletic department reportedly have been especially aggressive in the world of name, image and likeness. What's your stance on NIL and players' ability to earn money?

Heupel: For me, it's real simple. I just go back to my playing days. I look at what I was doing for the university I played for (Heupel was the Heisman Trophy runner-up at Oklahoma in 2000) and the logo that I played for, and at the same time, I feel like I had created a brand too, and would have liked to have been afforded the opportunity to take advantage of those things. I think that's why today's student-athletes, like freshmen coming into campus, the positive of it is kids are very aware of what they're doing and what's out on social media and that there's a maturity they have to operate with.

But this is the game now. It is not going away, and we better embrace it. And from my playing days, I understand the positive side of it.

"But this is the game now. It is not going away, and we better embrace it."

No truer words.

 

[VAVol85]

Speaking of ESPN and Heupel, our pencil-necked alumnus, Finebaum, declared UT football irrelevant after we hired Heupel. When PFF, did his interviews of first year SEC coaches, Heupel, was conspicuously absent (had to wash his hair?).

Does anyone know if Heupel has ever sat for an interview with that clown?

 

[VFL-82-JP]

Speaking of ESPN and Heupel, our pencil-necked alumnus, Finebaum, declared UT football irrelevant after we hired Heupel. When PFF, did his interviews of first year SEC coaches, Heupel, was conspicuously absent (had to was his hair?).

Does anyone know if Heupel has ever sat for an interview with that clown?

When one gets to where Power 5 head coaches are, it ceases to be personal. When they forget that, they start looking like Jimbo Fisher.

I'm sure Heupel will give Finebaum an interview at some point. No big deal. When Finebaum said that it was in an entirely different context than we have today.

 

[VAVol85]

When one gets to where Power 5 head coaches are, it ceases to be personal. When they forget that, they start looking like Jimbo Fisher.

I'm sure Heupel will give Finebaum an interview at some point. No big deal. When Finebaum said that it was in an entirely different context than we have today.

I am sure you are correct that P5 coaches are wise to leave the bitterness to us fans.

But, I have read that when it comes to program access, Danny White rewards those journalists who speak favorably and avoid peddling rumors and doesn’t have much time for the others - not vindictive but firm. I have wondered if Heupel’s absence from the PF show is an example of that policy.