It’s terrible to learn that became irate today and signed his resignation letter as a result.

The biggest question surrounding Tennessee football in the first two seasons of the Josh Heupel era has been what will come out of the NCAA’s investigations into the program.

Heupel’s predecessor, Jeremy Pruitt, was fired after a flurry of recruiting allegations came to light in January 2021. The situation was seemingly yet another killing blow to a program that has struggled for the majority of the 21st century and could have resulted in a postseason ban.

In a scramble to overhaul the athletic department while having to find a new football coach, Tennessee hired Danny White as athletics director, who then brought Heupel with him from the University of Central Florida. At the time, it was seen as a consolation hire, as the most attractive candidates were already off the market.

However, Heupel has completely shifted the culture and enjoyed an 11-win season capped off with an Orange Bowl win over Clemson in just two years. And now, the program can officially put the allegations on the backburner after last week’s hearing when the Vols avoided a postseason ban despite hundreds of violations.

Despite receiving many questions on the matter at SEC Media Days, Heupel was pleased to finally put the investigation in the past.

“I said in a room just like this two years ago that it would be a speed bump for the program, our football program,” Heupel said. “And a few days ago, we found out that that certainly was the case. We have navigated it in such a positive way because of the leadership that we have. We have been transparent and real and have been able to close that narrative on our program and move forward.”

The program did receive punishments such as loss of scholarships, an $8 million fine, and a five-year probation, but the program is still in a spot to continue its upward trajectory, avoiding any crippling punishments.

The university opted to take the long route to ensure fairness to the players who stayed in the program rather than a quick fix that might have sacrificed the short term in hopes of a smoother future for the program.