Josh Heupel made his final decision to return back at Oklahoma football…see more

Josh Heupel made his final decision to return back at Oklahoma…see more

On September 21, Josh Heupel’s Tennessee squad will play their first SEC matchup against Oklahoma. This will also be Heupel’s first visit to his old university since being fired as offensive coordinator in the early months of 2015.

Josh Heupel was not present at Owen Field for almost a decade. But in less than four months, the former quarterback who led Oklahoma to a national championship and assistant coach will be back at the scene of his first encounter, this time on the other sideline.

This fall, Oklahoma will host Heupel’s Tennessee team as part of Oklahoma’s maiden SEC schedule. On September 21, the Vols will officially play the Sooners in their first-ever SEC conference game when they travel to Norman.

In addition to being a historic occasion for Oklahoma’s football program, Heupel will experience a sense of comeback as he played quarterback for the Sooners for two seasons before joining the staff for nine more, serving as co-offensive coordinator for four of those seasons.

Concerning his impending return trip to Oklahoma, Heupel responded, “It’ll be unique to go back and play inside of that stadium being on the other sideline,” on Wednesday at the SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida.

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Heupel is in his fourth year as Tennessee’s head coach. In his first three seasons, he led the team to a 27-12 record and finished above.500 every time. This includes the Vols’ 11-win season in 2022 and their 9-4 campaign the previous season, during which they placed 17th in the AP poll.

After finishing his playing career, Heupel joined Oklahoma as a graduate assistant coach in 2004. Heupel, a 1999 signing who had previously transferred from junior college, led Oklahoma’s quarterbacking attack for two seasons in the Bob Stoops era. During his two seasons, he completed 63.2% of his throws for 6,852 yards, 50 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions. The most recent of the program’s seven claimed national titles, he led the Sooners to the 2000 BCS national title. That same year, he finished second in the Heisman Trophy competition and was chosen in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft.

Heupel was Arizona’s tight ends coach during Mike Schmidt’s tenure after serving as a graduate assistant for a season at his alma mater.

Staff of Stoops. The next year, he went back to OU to take on the role of quarterbacks coach. It was there that he helped Sam Bradford during his 2008 Heisman campaign. Heupel was promoted to co-offensive coordinator and play-caller at the conclusion of the 2010 campaign. Heupel was fired, nevertheless, because the school decided not to renew his contract, after the Sooners’ 8-5 season in 2014 saw them finish 85th in the country in passing offense, with quarterback Trevor Knight completing just 56.6% of his throws for 2,300 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.