On Tuesday morning, Tennessee football made a massive move. The Vols hired Derek Owings as the new director of football sports performance, fresh off of him winning the national championship in the same role at Indiana. Reportedly, he will make $1.2 million per year, marking the most of any strength coach in college football history.
USC also went after Owings, a 32-year-old, last season, but he turned down the opportunity. The pitch and pay day from Josh Heupel and the Vols was enough to leave the reigning national champions, though.
Owings only joined Indiana two years ago when Curt Cignetti got the job, but he’s been with Cignetti for quite some time now. He initially joined his staff in 2020 at James Madison. He previously worked for one season with Heupel at UCF, as well.
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Here’s what both Heupel and Owings said about him being hired by Tennessee:
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel:
“Physical and mental toughness is paramount in everything we do year-round as a program. No one understands this better at a championship level than Derek. He will elevate our strength and conditioning program with a relentless mindset and forge strong relationships with our players. He has a proven track record of utilizing modern training methods to maximize speed and strength, while specializing in injury prevention. He also understands what it takes to build an elite nutrition program to ensure our players are set up for on-field success and durability. We are thrilled to welcome Derek and his wife, Riley, to Rocky Top!”
Tennessee Director of Football Sports Performance Derek Owings
“Tennessee is one of the most iconic brands in college football. I’m thankful to Coach Heupel for believing in me, and I can’t wait to serve this program, this staff and most importantly, these players on Rocky Top.”
