A Look at What Josh Heupel's First On-Field Staff at Tennessee Could Look Like

Josh Heupel is set to address the media momentarily, which you can watch on utsports.com and the SEC Network, and after, he will get to work as Tennessee's next head football coach. Heupel will face several challenges to start his career at Tennessee, but none more imminent than assembling his first staff. We take our first look at what we think Heupel's inaugural staff could look like at Tennessee.

Offensive Coordinator

One has to think that Tennessee will move on from Jim Chaney. Heupel and Chaney's philosophies do not mix, and it makes sense for Heupel to go after Jeff Lebby. Heupel took a chance on Lebby at UCF and made him a coordinator. Now, Lebby is with Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss, so he could be willing to make a move back to work with his former AD and Head Coach. It makes a lot of sense, and we have been told he would be open to the move. Lebby will not be the only candidate that Heupel looks at, as he has made various stops across the country, which should help him fill this position with relative ease.

Defensive Coordinator

This is the move that Heupel has to nail. His offense speaks for itself, but he has to bring in an elite defensive coordinator. Kevin Steele is currently on the staff, but will he stay? We believe it is possible that Steele remains, but there are other names out there. Heupel worked for Barry Odom at Missouri, and he has worked alongside Mike Stoops at Oklahoma. He will have plenty of options to reach out to, but given the fact that Danny White met with Kevin Steele last night, one has to think he has an idea of what is coming. 

Running Back's Coach

Lebby has been known as one of the top running back developers during his coaching tenure, but Jay Graham is already under contract for another year, which makes him the obvious choice. Heupel is going to have to instill a new culture at Tennessee, and keeping Graham around makes total sense. He is also the special team's coordinator, which cannot be undervalued. While Montario Hardesty has been coaching receivers at Charlotte, he could be a viable option to replace Graham if he does jump to Alabama.

Wide Receiver's Coach

Joe Osovet is the most likely coach to be retained, in my opinion. He interviewed for a position on Heupel's staff just a couple of weeks ago, and we have been told he was the front-runner to get it. We are penciling him in at the Wide Receiver's spot because of that, but it is not an indictment on Tee Martin's future to this point. We are told Martin wants to remain on Rocky Top, but his contract expires in just a few days. Kodi Burns just joined Heupel’s staff at UCF following a stint at Auburn. It seems likely that he joins Tennessee’s staff if Osovet is not the guy. 

Tight End's Coach

One on-field spots make sense for Heupel to bring his guy, and it is tight end. He poached Alex Golesh from Iowa State, and he has had extensive success with the position. Heupel also hired him as a co-coordinator, which shows trust in him. According to Golesh's bio, "In the season before Golesh came to Ames, Iowa State tight ends caught a combined five passes in 2015. In 2019 Cyclone tight ends caught 75 passes under his direction with that sort of production a big part of Iowa State's success. In 2019 sophomore tight end starter Charlie Kolar caught 51 passes for 697 yards (most yards all-time by a Cyclone tight end in a season) and seven TDs, helping him earn second-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus and first-team all-Big 12 recognition, as well as first-team Academic All-America notice."

Offensive Line Coach

Heupel could also bring his offensive line coach with him, as Glen Elarbee has been a critical piece of the UCF offensive success. There are several other names out there, but Elarbee is another UCF coach that makes sense for Heupel.

Quarterbacks Coach 

Chris Weinke will not be retained here, and Joey Halzle is the obvious choice. He has an extremely tight relationship with Heupel. That’s not to say that he ends up in the position but he’s certainly an easily identifiable candidate. 

Defensive Line Coach

Rodney Garner is the best available defensive line coach, and he is an elite recruiter. It remains a no-brainer for Tennessee to bring him in. One has to think Garner is the first call for Heupel here.

Defensive Backs Coach

It does not seem destined for Tennessee to keep Derrick Ansley, but he does have another year left on his contract. Does he share the co-DC role with Kevin Steele? It is possible. One has to think this is one of the more intriguing positions for Heupel to hire. He also had Willie Martinez on staff at UCF, and he serves as the assistant head coach and secondary on staff. Martinez has been to Tennessee before, and he has succesful individually. At Tennessee, his defensive backs averaged more than 13 interceptions per season, including the 2014 team that ranked No. 15 in the nation with 16 picks, according to his UCF bio.

Linebackers Coach

Before Tennessee announced the hire of any head coach, Kevin Simon was rumored to be a viable candidate to make a jump to coaching on the field. Simon is a Volunteer legend, and he has been due a chance on the field. He should have no trouble on the recruiting trail, and his overall body of work should speak volumes to what he can do in Knoxville. Heupel should not have to look far for his coach. Mike Stoops is also an option here. He was all but ready to join Texas's staff in a similar role before the deal fell through, so he is a name to remember. It is also a possibility that we see a combination of the two.