Josh Heupel and Tennessee made it to the College Football Playoff in 2024, but were unable to do so in 2025. There have been many changes made by the Volunteers to the coaching staff, with new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles being the biggest one.
However, the Volunteers made big news on Tuesday, announcing Derek Owings as the program’s next director of football sports performance.
On Monday night, Owings was on the sideline in Miami winning a national championship with the Indiana Hoosiers.
He has spent the last six seasons working with Curt Cignetti, and that includes time at James Madison. Heupel commented on the hire in a press release.
“Physical and mental toughness is paramount in everything we do year-round as a program,” Heupel said in a statement. “No one understands this better at a championship level than Derek. He will elevate our strength and conditioning program with a relentless mindset and forge strong relationships with our players. He has a proven track record of utilizing modern training methods to maximize speed and strength, while specializing in injury prevention. He also understands what it takes to build an elite nutrition program to ensure our players are set up for on-field success and durability. We are thrilled to welcome Derek and his wife, Riley, to Rocky Top!”
Owings will reportedly be receiving a hefty pay raise for this new position, as he will be making $1.2 million per year, which is the most ever for a strength and conditioning coach, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
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Tennessee has spent a ton of money this off-season to make sure there are improvements in Knoxville. The defense was a major issue last year, and they fixed that by giving Knowles a three-year contract where he will be paid an average of $2.2 million.
Heupel has done a great job of fixing what he perceives as areas they need to improve on, but the expectations will now be even higher heading into the 2026 season.
Josh Heupel comments on Tennessee’s hiring of Derek Owings Saturday Down South.
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