New Tennessee NCAA college football head coach Josh Heupel, left, shakes hands with University of Tennessee athletics director Danny White after being presented a jersey speaks during an introductory press conference at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021.
If anything, I was trying not to hire the coach from UCF.”White hired Heupel on Wednesday as Tennessee's 27th head coach and fifth coach, not counting interim or acting coaches, since the end of the 2008 season.
Heupel said he wasn't deterred by the NCAA investigation that started with the firing of Tennessee's last coach, Jeremy Pruitt.
“I believe in a very, very bright future for Tennessee football,” Heupel said.
White was hired on Jan. 21 and his first job was to find a new coach.