Josh Heupel Named Finalist for Steve Spurrier First Year Head Coach Award

[TrueOrange]

Josh Heupel Named Finalist for Steve Spurrier First-Year Head Coach Award

Tennessee Volunteers Head Coach Josh Heupel has been named a finalist for the Steve Spurrier First-Year Head Coach Award, along with UCF's Gus Malzahn and South Carolina's Shane Beamer.

“This award is given to the coach in his first year at his school who comes in and exceeds expectations,” said Steve Spurrier in a release from the FWAA. “All three of these coaches got their programs heading in the right direction and they didn’t make any excuses. They took what was there and started running with it and they all had outstanding seasons.”

Below is why each finalist is considered for the award per the FWAA release:

"Shane Beamer, South Carolina:Beamer, the son of first-ballot College Football Hall of Famer Frank Beamer, helped the Gamecocks improve from 2-8 to 6-6 in his first season as a head coach. Beamer had to win games with three different quarterbacks – two apiece – one a former FCS quarterback and another a former graduate assistant coach."

"Josh Heupel, Tennessee: Heupel led the Vols to a 7-5 record after taking over a program that went 3-7 the year before and was mired in an NCAA investigation left over from the previous staff. Heupel, a national championship quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up as a player at Oklahoma, is vying to become the first two-time winner of the Spurrier Award, having won it at Central Florida in 2018."

"Gus Malzahn, UCF: Malzahn led the Knights to an 9-4 season including a Gasparilla Bowl victory over Florida, a three-game improvement from the 6-4 mark they ran up last season despite losing several key players, including QB Dillon Gabriel. Malzahn finished the season coaching with a broken tibia after being injured in a sideline collision, working some games from a sideline platform rather than going up into the coach’s box and just finished off the highest recruiting class in school history."

Malzahn took over at Central Florida following Heupel's departure for Knoxville, while Beamer left his role as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator to take the job in Columbia.

Heupel inherited a program that was facing an NCAA investigation into recruiting improprieties from the previous staff as well as numerous outgoing transfers.

The Vols will have an opportunity to earn their 8th win tomorrow against Purdue in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl, which would give Heupel the most wins of any first year head coach at Tennessee since Phillip Fulmer took the reins in Knoxville.

Heupel previously won the award during his first season at UCF in 2018.

 

[BigOrangeTrain]

Objectively, Heupel deserves it. Beamer and Malzahan walked into dream scenarios compared to what Heupel did. Neither Beamer nor Gus lost almost 30 players to the portal. Nor did either one have less than 78 scholarship players the whole year. And honestly JH had less than that when you figure multiple starters were banged up for most of the season.

Heupel deserves it but he won’t win. I think it will go to Beamer.

 

[TAF]

 

[Gandalf]

Josh Heupel Named Finalist for Steve Spurrier First-Year Head Coach Award

"Josh Heupel, Tennessee: Heupel led the Vols to a 7-5 record after taking over a program that went 3-7 the year before and was mired in an NCAA investigation left over from the previous staff. Heupel, a national championship quarterback and Heisman Trophy runner-up as a player at Oklahoma, is vying to become the first two-time winner of the Spurrier Award, having won it at Central Florida in 2018."

Thats something I was not aware of. The fact that he has won it once and is now a finalist for it again (and may win it) is interesting and hopefully points to a great future here at UT.

 

[VFFL@THE BEACH]

Objectively, Heupel deserves it. Beamer and Malzahan walked into dream scenarios compared to what Heupel did. Neither Beamer nor Gus lost almost 30 players to the portal. Nor did either one have less than 78 scholarship players the whole year. And honestly JH had less than that when you figure multiple starters were banged up for most of the season.

Heupel deserves it but he won’t win. I think it will go to Beamer.

I agree, but give it to beamer.. We want him around for a while for a while.

 

[IluvdoubleD's]

Coach Hype is trending. COY IMO.

 

[damcclure60]

I would respectfully decline anything with Spurrier's name on it.

 

[Coddlecreek1]

Objectively, Heupel deserves it. Beamer and Malzahan walked into dream scenarios compared to what Heupel did. Neither Beamer nor Gus lost almost 30 players to the portal. Nor did either one have less than 78 scholarship players the whole year. And honestly JH had less than that when you figure multiple starters were banged up for most of the season.

Heupel deserves it but he won’t win. I think it will go to Beamer.

If they are objective it shouldn’t , he beat the wheels off of Beamer. It would be a farce. But who knows?