SECMD21: Heupel ready to fight the uphill battle that is Tennessee football

New Tennessee coach Josh Heupel met with the media on Tuesday and answered questions regarding the Vols’ difficult climb back to respectability. (Courtesy Southeastern Conference)

By GRAHAM DUNN

HOOVER – Barely five minutes into his time at the podium Tuesday at SEC Media Days, new Tennessee Vols coach Josh Heupel was asked about where the football program is as he takes over in his first season at the helm.

It was not an unfair question, but it was a very quick reminder of what he’s up against.

“If you go by wins and losses… we're not where we need to be for sure, but the only time constraints you put on that are ones you put on yourself,” Heupel said, looking for the best but honest answer to a pointed question.

“I have a different perspective a little maybe of the opportunity that is Tennessee football, and I say that from my playing experience. I went to Oklahoma when they hadn't been to a Bowl game for five straight years. When you get the right alignment from president to chancellor to athletic director to head coach and you hire a great staff and you're consistent and you're accountable, I feel like you have an opportunity to move things forward quickly.”

Heupel would go on to say there are obvious challenges with the Vols. What was once an iconic program, winning a national championship in 1998, is now considered with the likes of the lower half of the league.

But Heupel, who has celebrated a Mani Te’o-like national title at Central Florida, was not backing down on what Tennessee can be again.

“We have an opportunity to celebrate the great traditions while putting a new age approach on it,” he said. “Our kids and our staff, they're all there because of that. They chose the power of T for those reasons. Our staff chose the power of T for those reasons.

“We're going to go out and compete every single day and push forward.”

In truth, it’s only been 13 years since Tennessee was considered a true challenger in the SEC East.  But the fall has been quick and painful.

It hasn’t helped that Alabama’s ascent under Nick Saban has played a role, which was another reminder handed to Heupel on Tuesday.

“It's not about just one game going forward,” he said. “Our players understand we're only as good as our next performance.

“For us as a coaching staff and players, we have to take a one-day approach at it, and that means we can control today. We can't control three months from now. We can control today. If we take care of today and follow that up consistently, we're going to put ourselves in the best position to get where we want to go long term.”

Add to the suffering an NCAA investigation in which the university’s administration turned in its own football program.

The timing couldn’t be worse with the NCAA’s president, Mark Emmert, all but admitting the association’s enforcement power has been deemed impotent.

And, the transfer portal filled up with Tennessee players since last season, 25 to be exact.

It adds up to the continued no-win situation for Heupel.

But he’s not interested in hearing it.

“We were hit by the transfer portal certainly before I got to campus, but that's been a double-edged sword, and I say that meaning we were able to add eight guys after spring ball through the transfer portal as well, and I think, as we've gone through this summer and we get into training camp, those guys are going to have an opportunity to help us out as we get on the football field this fall,” said Heupel, finding a bright side.

The Vols are working on improving teamwork, which has led to dodgeball games and musical locker rooms where upper classmen and lower classmen would bond. There is laughter in the air now.

“Those are my brothers, and that's who we're going to be going to war with each other,” said receiver and Alabama native Velus Jones. “Without brothers and bonding and connection, you have nothing. You stand no chance. And I feel like our team has come a long way. Everybody interacting with each other, it's an amazing sight, honestly.

“After workouts and stuff, people probably won't leave the locker room until an hour later because we're talking about anything, everybody just talking, laughing. I feel like that's what it's all about, connection.”

But it will take more than “kumbaya” to return Tennessee to its glory days. Beating the likes of Kentucky, Vanderbilt and South Carolina on a consistent basis would help.

At least scaring Georgia and Florida for another.

With all the defections, mostly on defense, that might take a while.

“We were hit in the transfer portal on the defensive side of the football,” Heupel said “I feel it was important that we added depth and experience on the defensive side of the football coming out of the spring ball. We were able to add a couple bodies at each level. We kind of pinpointed that going into the process as we got probably midway through spring and felt like we had a handle on what our depth looked like.

“I really do feel like all those guys are going to have an opportunity to compete and play and play meaningful snaps for us this fall.”