Josh Heupel is entering year six of his tenure as Tennessee football’s head coach. At this point in his career, how does he compare to other coaches across FBS college football, though?
According to a new ranking of head coaches by The Sporting News, Heupel is the No. 16 coach in the country. This is a five-spot drop from where the publication slotted him heading into last year, which saw the Vols finish 8-5 with a loss to Illinois in the Music City Bowl.
“Heupel led the Vols to a fifth straight winning season one year after the program’s first CFP appearance,” Bill Bender of The Sporting News wrote. “Tennessee finished .500 in SEC play in three of those five years, and the Vols will no longer be judged as much on some traditional rivalries. Tennessee does not play Florida or Georgia this season. Heupel slips a few spots in the rankings heading into 2026.”
Indiana coach Curt Cignetti tops our annual ranking of college football head coaches, earning the No. 1 spot in the nation.
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Overall, Heupel is 45-20 (24-16 SEC) during his time at Tennessee. In each of his seasons, he’s earned a spot in a bowl game or the playoffs, winning the Orange Bowl and Citrus Bowl.
His best two years were in 2022 and 2024. The Vols finished 11-2 (6-2 SEC) in 2022, falling just short of a spot in the four-team College Football Playoffs. 2024 saw a 10-2 (6-2 SEC) regular season finish and reached the playoffs, but got blown out at Ohio State on the road.
His worst season, considering expectations, is either 2023 or 2025. 2023 saw the team finish 9-5 (4-4 SEC) with a win in the Citrus Bowl over Iowa. This past year was the 8-5 (4-4 SEC) campaign that finished with the Music City Bowl loss.
