Heupel Details Staff Timeline, First Days as Tennessee Head Coach

Heupel Details Staff Timeline, First Days as Tennessee Head Coach

When Josh Heupel was introduced as Tennessee's 27th Head Coach, he described the sequence of events as "a wild and fast ride." Heupel joined Vol Calls last night to cap his fifth day on the job, and he offered insight into what his first few days have been like and what a timeline looks like for assembling a staff. 

Heupel said about his first days on the job, "It's been a wild ride here so far. It's been a lot of time just juggling a lot of different balls in the air kind of. I think first and foremost, the number one thing you've got of to do is try to get to know your roster, get a chance to talk to your football team, and find out just the things that they're looking forward to or that they want and might be missing inside your program. You have that initial conversation, but a lot of players have been coming in here just having individual conversations. Got a chance to watch them work out a couple times, be with them, and that part's been great. "

Heupel is also dealing with challenges on the recruiting trail, as National Signing Day is Wednesday, leaving him to work quickly to push for anybody in the 2021 class. In addition to that, the NCAA is now allowing coaches to make calls to 2022 recruits, which has him making numerous calls to in-state recruits. 

He said on his first days with recruiting, "Got a little bit of recruiting that's going on as well with a current class that you've got signing day here in a couple of days, but you're also pushing forward on a '22 class that in some ways you're probably way behind on because you haven't had familiarity with this group."

Heupel added, "Then you're trying to hire a staff, too, and find your way to bed at night and find your way around town. It feels like I'm not (sleeping), but it's been a lot of fun."

The staff hires are what most everyone's attention has been glued to. Heupel has several UCF staffers set to join his first Tennessee staff on the offensive side, but the defensive side remains unclear. 

He said on the staff taking shape, "I look at it really as, we had a large staff in Orlando in UCF, and I'm talking about your support staff. You got your ten main coaches. We're chipping away at that. I like where we're at and where we're heading with our on-field coaches. At the same time, you're the CEO of really, in most respects, a large corporation, too, so making sure that your support staff is right as well, so bit by bit with the people that you feel strongly about, and it ends up being the right fit, you start moving those guys to Knoxville to help your current players and get their feet on the ground."

It is safe to expect more staff movement from Knoxville throughout the week. Heupel did not retain Joe Osovet last night, and Tee Martin's future remains in the balance at this point. Kevin Steele remains the only 'holdover' coach on contract, but his future remains unclear at this stage as well.