Last week the University of Tennessee made the decision to fire head football coach Jeremey Pruitt amid several recruiting allegations that have overshadowed the program. Additionally Phillip Fulmer resigned from his position as athletic director, leaving holes in two leadership positions for the Vols to fill. Tennessee moved quickly and hired Danny White to be the new athletic director and this morning it has named Josh Heupel as the new head football coach.

Heupel follows White from UCF to Tennessee to take the vacant position. Heupel is an accomplished former college football player having played quarterback at Oklahoma after some time at Weber State. Heupel won a national championship, AP Player of the Year, Big 12 Player of the Year and was a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2000.

He has been coaching college football since 2004 spending time as tight ends coach and quarterbacks coach before taking over as offensive coordinator for the Sooners in 2011. He takes the Tennessee job with SEC experience already under his belt as he served as offensive coordinator at Missouri for two seasons.

Heupel got his first head coaching job at UCF in December of 2017 after the Knights lost Scott Frost to Nebraska. In three seasons at UCF, Heupel compiled a record of 28-8. He won the American Athletic East Division and the conference championship in 2018, he finished second and third in the East Division in each of his other two seasons.

Heupel's hiring answers the question as to who will take over in Knoxville but it also brings more questions. Will he be able to re-recruit Volunteers out of the transfer portal and back on campus? What NCAA sanctions is Tennessee facing? What will happen to newly hired Kevin Steele?

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