I see parallels in the Heupel and Vitello program trajectories

[NighthawkVol]

I know they're somewhat difficult to compare because they're different sports and TV having his 3rd season cancelled due to COVID, however, I see some parallels.

Both inherited really bad programs that had struggled for a decade-plus. They both needed a roster reset. They both needed a jumpstart from bright young, energetic coaches.

Both coaches overachieved a with slightly over .500 seasons in year one with less than SEC-level talent, but winning over the players and establishing culture. Both made a breakthrough in Year 2. Heupel's was actually a bigger breakthrough, beating Bama, going 11-2, and making a NY6 bowl. But TV made it to Hoover and went to a regional for the first time in forever and won 40+ games. That was a big deal. Years 3 were kind of non-comparable, with Heupel going 9-4 in a slight step back after losing his top offensive talents, and COVID cancelling the baseball season.

Year 4 is when both really broke through...Heupel beat Bama again, won 10 games and made Tennessee's 1st CFP appearance. The disappointment was in getting there and getting blown out by the eventual NC at their place. The AP ranked Tennessee 9th in its final poll. TV, in Year 4, took the program to Omaha. A huge breakthrough, as well. However, once they got to Omaha (sort of the equivalent of making the CFP), they laid an egg, going 0-2 against Virginia and Texas in 2 games that were never really competitive. Baseball America ranked UT 8th in its final poll.

In Year 5, TV produced his best team up to that point, the 2022 team, which set all kinds of records, but was upset in the Supers. So while it was actually better than the 2021 team, it didn't go as far in the postseason. We will see what Heupel's 5th team looks like. I think it will be better than the 2024 team. But having to play Florida and Alabama on the road is a tall task.

TV finally won a NC in Year 7. It was his 3rd appearance in Omaha. Heupel's Year 7 will be 2027. Can he win a NC then? Will that 2026 recruiting class push him over the top? How many CFP appearances will he have by then? We'll see.

I also think there are similar staff approaches. Rodney Garner is the grizzled veteran coach who is Heupel's Frank Anderson. Tim Banks may be his Elander...the young future head coach.

Just some random thoughts I had with football being in the offseason and baseball approaching.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Respective records.

 

[sami]

Not a bad comparison, but one thing Vitello has going for him is that he has made UT into one of the elite college baseball programs, with the iconic 2022 team and the CWS win only cementing that status. In baseball, we are the equivalent of what Ohio State, Georgia, Oregon, Texas, and Alabama are in football right now, at the top of the food chain nationally.

Heupel has elevated the football program beyond our wildest dreams in a short time, but we are still on that second tier with regard to how we are viewed nationally. That's not to say that UT can't compete for and potentially win a NC some day, but until and unless we can recruit and compete financially on close to the same level as the 'big boys', it's always going to be a bit of an uphill climb.

 

[THEONLYTENISEE]

I would add Kim Caldwell on the list, I feel good about the future.

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

I know they're somewhat difficult to compare because they're different sports and TV having his 3rd season cancelled due to COVID, however, I see some parallels.

Both inherited really bad programs that had struggled for a decade-plus. They both needed a roster reset. They both needed a jumpstart from bright young, energetic coaches.

Both coaches overachieved a with slightly over .500 seasons in year one with less than SEC-level talent, but winning over the players and establishing culture. Both made a breakthrough in Year 2. Heupel's was actually a bigger breakthrough, beating Bama, going 11-2, and making a NY6 bowl. But TV made it to Hoover and went to a regional for the first time in forever and won 40+ games. That was a big deal. Years 3 were kind of non-comparable, with Heupel going 9-4 in a slight step back after losing his top offensive talents, and COVID cancelling the baseball season.

Year 4 is when both really broke through...Heupel beat Bama again, won 10 games and made Tennessee's 1st CFP appearance. The disappointment was in getting there and getting blown out by the eventual NC at their place. The AP ranked Tennessee 9th in its final poll. TV, in Year 4, took the program to Omaha. A huge breakthrough, as well. However, once they got to Omaha (sort of the equivalent of making the CFP), they laid an egg, going 0-2 against Virginia and Texas in 2 games that were never really competitive. Baseball America ranked UT 8th in its final poll.

In Year 5, TV produced his best team up to that point, the 2022 team, which set all kinds of records, but was upset in the Supers. So while it was actually better than the 2021 team, it didn't go as far in the postseason. We will see what Heupel's 5th team looks like. I think it will be better than the 2024 team. But having to play Florida and Alabama on the road is a tall task.

TV finally won a NC in Year 7. It was his 3rd appearance in Omaha. Heupel's Year 7 will be 2027. Can he win a NC then? Will that 2026 recruiting class push him over the top? How many CFP appearances will he have by then? We'll see.

I also think there are similar staff approaches. Rodney Garner is the grizzled veteran coach who is Heupel's Frank Anderson. Tim Banks may be his Elander...the young future head coach.

Just some random thoughts I had with football being in the offseason and baseball approaching.

Vitello inherited a much worse program in a tougher conference where you can’t even offer full scholarships, and your best recruits almost always never make it to school. Vitello’s program was constantly improving for the first 5 years. Heupel has been unable to make it back to the success of year 2 so far.

Vitello has built the team of the decade and did several things no coach had ever done here even before winning our first natty. He is one of the best collegiate coaches in the country, not just in baseball but across college sports. Heupel has done a nice job taking over a tough rebuild, but no one is blown away by what he has turned the program into. He has made it respectable, Vitello made his dominant. No part of this analogy works in Heupel’s favor. Even the “Banks is a young coach” bit wildly misses the mark, as Banks is older than Heupel.

 

[MAD]

Vitello came into Knoxville with no head coaching experience and took the “Vandy of football” and made them National Champions.

 

[cardvolfan]

Good comparisons. Personally, I feel more confident that we can not only compete with, but blow the doors off some of the best teams in college baseball. Football is in better hands now, no question, but baseball is in the best hands. That being said, football is good again, but we need a more aggressive approach offensively and defensively to be at the highest level.

 

[Oldvoldad]

I know they're somewhat difficult to compare because they're different sports and TV having his 3rd season cancelled due to COVID, however, I see some parallels.

Both inherited really bad programs that had struggled for a decade-plus. They both needed a roster reset. They both needed a jumpstart from bright young, energetic coaches.

Both coaches overachieved a with slightly over .500 seasons in year one with less than SEC-level talent, but winning over the players and establishing culture. Both made a breakthrough in Year 2. Heupel's was actually a bigger breakthrough, beating Bama, going 11-2, and making a NY6 bowl. But TV made it to Hoover and went to a regional for the first time in forever and won 40+ games. That was a big deal. Years 3 were kind of non-comparable, with Heupel going 9-4 in a slight step back after losing his top offensive talents, and COVID cancelling the baseball season.

Year 4 is when both really broke through...Heupel beat Bama again, won 10 games and made Tennessee's 1st CFP appearance. The disappointment was in getting there and getting blown out by the eventual NC at their place. The AP ranked Tennessee 9th in its final poll. TV, in Year 4, took the program to Omaha. A huge breakthrough, as well. However, once they got to Omaha (sort of the equivalent of making the CFP), they laid an egg, going 0-2 against Virginia and Texas in 2 games that were never really competitive. Baseball America ranked UT 8th in its final poll.

In Year 5, TV produced his best team up to that point, the 2022 team, which set all kinds of records, but was upset in the Supers. So while it was actually better than the 2021 team, it didn't go as far in the postseason. We will see what Heupel's 5th team looks like. I think it will be better than the 2024 team. But having to play Florida and Alabama on the road is a tall task.

TV finally won a NC in Year 7. It was his 3rd appearance in Omaha. Heupel's Year 7 will be 2027. Can he win a NC then? Will that 2026 recruiting class push him over the top? How many CFP appearances will he have by then? We'll see.

I also think there are similar staff approaches. Rodney Garner is the grizzled veteran coach who is Heupel's Frank Anderson. Tim Banks may be his Elander...the young future head coach.

Just some random thoughts I had with football being in the offseason and baseball approaching.

Whoaaa!!!!!! How dare you bring positivity to this site!!!!

 

[driscokid]

Vitello inherited a much worse program in a tougher conference where you can’t even offer full scholarships, and your best recruits almost always never make it to school. Vitello’s program was constantly improving for the first 5 years. Heupel has been unable to make it back to the success of year 2 so far.

Vitello has built the team of the decade and did several things no coach had ever done here even before winning our first natty. He is one of the best collegiate coaches in the country, not just in baseball but across college sports. Heupel has done a nice job taking over a tough rebuild, but no one is blown away by what he has turned the program into. He has made it respectable, Vitello made his dominant. No part of this analogy works in Heupel’s favor. Even the “Banks is a young coach” bit wildly misses the mark, as Banks is older than Heupel.

We lost 2 games this year same as in 2022 (Similar losses too. One good team and one dud) and made the playoff where we lost to the best team. In 2022 we blew it and missed the playoffs and would have lost most likely if we had made it and finished 10-3. I’d say 2024 surpassed 2022 even though the offense was not as high flying.

 

[yoyoyoyo]

Agree with a lot of it but CJH is not recruiting near the level, developing players as well and not succeeding in the portal anywhere close to the level of CTV.

 

[GrayWaterCanine]

Heupel is an alpha. If you put all of the alphas in a room, Tony is an alpha in that room.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

Vitello is recruiting top 3. Heupel isn’t.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

I can see it some but still different in many ways.

While UT football was down, it has always had the fanbase and history behind it and even when we were were down , we were still a name in college football. I think a good portion of the rest of college football have been waiting for us to make it back and assume it's an if, not when. We've hired some duds but every coach that comes into Tennessee football has some built in strengths because of the program.

Baseball we were bad in a conference that is arguably stronger in baseball than football and has been a good while. We had some good years under Delmonico but honestly with RD it was sink or swim. We'd be a CWS team one year, and kinda suck the next. We weren't even in the conversation in baseball and in a very short time TV has come in and kicked the door down and moved the front of the class. And this was after we actually got a name coach in Serrano and he didn't move the needle.

I'd more compare what TV did to what Pearl did for basketball in the 2000s or what Barnes did turning the program around pretty quickly, only TV took us to the top and went well beyond just getting good.

 

[CAVPUT]

I know they're somewhat difficult to compare because they're different sports and TV having his 3rd season cancelled due to COVID, however, I see some parallels.

Both inherited really bad programs that had struggled for a decade-plus. They both needed a roster reset. They both needed a jumpstart from bright young, energetic coaches.

Both coaches overachieved a with slightly over .500 seasons in year one with less than SEC-level talent, but winning over the players and establishing culture. Both made a breakthrough in Year 2. Heupel's was actually a bigger breakthrough, beating Bama, going 11-2, and making a NY6 bowl. But TV made it to Hoover and went to a regional for the first time in forever and won 40+ games. That was a big deal. Years 3 were kind of non-comparable, with Heupel going 9-4 in a slight step back after losing his top offensive talents, and COVID cancelling the baseball season.

Year 4 is when both really broke through...Heupel beat Bama again, won 10 games and made Tennessee's 1st CFP appearance. The disappointment was in getting there and getting blown out by the eventual NC at their place. The AP ranked Tennessee 9th in its final poll. TV, in Year 4, took the program to Omaha. A huge breakthrough, as well. However, once they got to Omaha (sort of the equivalent of making the CFP), they laid an egg, going 0-2 against Virginia and Texas in 2 games that were never really competitive. Baseball America ranked UT 8th in its final poll.

In Year 5, TV produced his best team up to that point, the 2022 team, which set all kinds of records, but was upset in the Supers. So while it was actually better than the 2021 team, it didn't go as far in the postseason. We will see what Heupel's 5th team looks like. I think it will be better than the 2024 team. But having to play Florida and Alabama on the road is a tall task.

TV finally won a NC in Year 7. It was his 3rd appearance in Omaha. Heupel's Year 7 will be 2027. Can he win a NC then? Will that 2026 recruiting class push him over the top? How many CFP appearances will he have by then? We'll see.

I also think there are similar staff approaches. Rodney Garner is the grizzled veteran coach who is Heupel's Frank Anderson. Tim Banks may be his Elander...the young future head coach.

Just some random thoughts I had with football being in the offseason and baseball approaching.

Dreaming is fun. I dig it

 

[89 VOLS grad]

We lost 2 games this year same as in 2022 (Similar losses too. One good team and one dud) and made the playoff where we lost to the best team. In 2022 we blew it and missed the playoffs and would have lost most likely if we had made it and finished 10-3. I’d say 2024 surpassed 2022 even though the offense was not as high flying.

UT football didn't beat ONE ELITE TEAM THIS YEAR in football! Bama wasn't elite, neither was Florida. Yes, I will GLADY take the Ws and be happy with it. But, let's not kid ourselves about either being elite! TV IS ON A WHOLE OTHER LEVEL and IT'S NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

We lost 2 games this year same as in 2022 (Similar losses too. One good team and one dud) and made the playoff where we lost to the best team. In 2022 we blew it and missed the playoffs and would have lost most likely if we had made it and finished 10-3. I’d say 2024 surpassed 2022 even though the offense was not as high flying.

This team would have blown it and missed a 4 team playoff too. I don’t give this team extra credit for making a 12 team playoff and penalize 2022 for missing a 4 team playoff (though the South Carolina loss is indicative of my biggest problem with Heupel in that his teams have dropped at least one they had no business losing every year, and this team also certainly had one of those). 2022 would have made the playoff if it had been 12 teams. Probably wouldn’t have won a game without Hooker, but with Hooker I’d have liked that team’s chances to have made a little run much more than this team’s. Our 2022 team had 2 or 3 wins that were better than any win this team had. They even had Heupel’s only 2 good wins on the road so far.

It’s a shame we couldn’t combine the 22 offense with the 24 defense, but the 2024 team loses by double digits to 2022. The 24 defense wasn’t good enough to stop the best offenses, so I think they would have struggled with the 22 offense. The 24 offense just wasn’t good against any team with a pulse, so there’s no way they catch up. It would probably have looked like the OSU game.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Some of y’all completely miss the concept of “trajectory.”

No, Heupel isn’t where Vitello is. Vitello has been here 7 years, Heupel 4. Is Heupel where Vitello was after 4 years? Yeah. Pretty much. Can he continue that upward trajectory and win a NC? We shall see.

 

[89 VOLS grad]

Some of y’all completely miss the concept of “trajectory.”

No, Heupel isn’t where Vitello is. Vitello has been here 7 years, Heupel 4. Is Heupel where Vitello was after 4 years? Yeah. Pretty much. Can he continue that upward trajectory and win a NC? We shall see.

Wrong! Dave Serrano left the baseball team much worse shape than Jones and Pruitt did the football team! TV has recruited much better, hired better coaches, and coached better than Heupel. It isn't even close! Don't insult TV by comparing him to Heupel! Heupel has done very good things. But, at no time has UT football looked like a DOMINANT or ELITE team like the baseball team has!

 

[LegionnaireOfTheMiserable]

Some of y’all completely miss the concept of “trajectory.”

No, Heupel isn’t where Vitello is. Vitello has been here 7 years, Heupel 4. Is Heupel where Vitello was after 4 years? Yeah. Pretty much. Can he continue that upward trajectory and win a NC? We shall see.

Vitello’s program steadily got better each year for his first 4 years. Heupel’s best year so far was year 2. Year 3 got worse. Year 4 was better than Year 3 but not as good as Year 2. So even the trajectory argument doesn’t hold.

 

[Orangecrush#27]

I know they're somewhat difficult to compare because they're different sports and TV having his 3rd season cancelled due to COVID, however, I see some parallels.

Both inherited really bad programs that had struggled for a decade-plus. They both needed a roster reset. They both needed a jumpstart from bright young, energetic coaches.

Both coaches overachieved a with slightly over .500 seasons in year one with less than SEC-level talent, but winning over the players and establishing culture. Both made a breakthrough in Year 2. Heupel's was actually a bigger breakthrough, beating Bama, going 11-2, and making a NY6 bowl. But TV made it to Hoover and went to a regional for the first time in forever and won 40+ games. That was a big deal. Years 3 were kind of non-comparable, with Heupel going 9-4 in a slight step back after losing his top offensive talents, and COVID cancelling the baseball season.

Year 4 is when both really broke through...Heupel beat Bama again, won 10 games and made Tennessee's 1st CFP appearance. The disappointment was in getting there and getting blown out by the eventual NC at their place. The AP ranked Tennessee 9th in its final poll. TV, in Year 4, took the program to Omaha. A huge breakthrough, as well. However, once they got to Omaha (sort of the equivalent of making the CFP), they laid an egg, going 0-2 against Virginia and Texas in 2 games that were never really competitive. Baseball America ranked UT 8th in its final poll.

In Year 5, TV produced his best team up to that point, the 2022 team, which set all kinds of records, but was upset in the Supers. So while it was actually better than the 2021 team, it didn't go as far in the postseason. We will see what Heupel's 5th team looks like. I think it will be better than the 2024 team. But having to play Florida and Alabama on the road is a tall task.

TV finally won a NC in Year 7. It was his 3rd appearance in Omaha. Heupel's Year 7 will be 2027. Can he win a NC then? Will that 2026 recruiting class push him over the top? How many CFP appearances will he have by then? We'll see.

I also think there are similar staff approaches. Rodney Garner is the grizzled veteran coach who is Heupel's Frank Anderson. Tim Banks may be his Elander...the young future head coach.

Just some random thoughts I had with football being in the offseason and baseball approaching.

It takes a few times getting to the playoffs before you finally get over the hurdle. Not many coaches go all the way in their first run. I trust JH, and know he’ll have us competing for many years to come!

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

CFB is a different animal and most people aren't willing to give CJH 7 years to bring home a title. Even if he has us consistently in the playoffs the narrative will be we need someone else to get over the hump because he cant.

 

[njvols]

Good comparisons. Personally, I feel more confident that we can not only compete with, but blow the doors off some of the best teams in college baseball. Football is in better hands now, no question, but baseball is in the best hands. That being said, football is good again, but we need a more aggressive approach offensively and defensively to be at the highest level.

Agree but it’s a slower build I think in football. Baseball ultra competitive in sec too, Vitello has managed to get top tier talent lining up to be a Vol. We are getting there in fb but need a “next step” probably this year to start getting top 5ish classes. Maybe infraction penalties are still impacting us some on numbers…I can’t remember.

 

[Ned Ray McWorkher]

Wishful thinking more than a legit comparison imo... Vitello has more accomplishment and hardware. Heupel has the hype. We'll see. 2025 is a year for football to surge toward the top. Or we risk falling back to the pack.

Vitello’s program steadily got better each year for his first 4 years. Heupel’s best year so far was year 2. Year 3 got worse. Year 4 was better than Year 3 but not as good as Year 2. So even the trajectory argument doesn’t hold.

 

[barney]

I know they're somewhat difficult to compare because they're different sports and TV having his 3rd season cancelled due to COVID, however, I see some parallels.

Both inherited really bad programs that had struggled for a decade-plus. They both needed a roster reset. They both needed a jumpstart from bright young, energetic coaches.

Both coaches overachieved a with slightly over .500 seasons in year one with less than SEC-level talent, but winning over the players and establishing culture. Both made a breakthrough in Year 2. Heupel's was actually a bigger breakthrough, beating Bama, going 11-2, and making a NY6 bowl. But TV made it to Hoover and went to a regional for the first time in forever and won 40+ games. That was a big deal. Years 3 were kind of non-comparable, with Heupel going 9-4 in a slight step back after losing his top offensive talents, and COVID cancelling the baseball season.

Year 4 is when both really broke through...Heupel beat Bama again, won 10 games and made Tennessee's 1st CFP appearance. The disappointment was in getting there and getting blown out by the eventual NC at their place. The AP ranked Tennessee 9th in its final poll. TV, in Year 4, took the program to Omaha. A huge breakthrough, as well. However, once they got to Omaha (sort of the equivalent of making the CFP), they laid an egg, going 0-2 against Virginia and Texas in 2 games that were never really competitive. Baseball America ranked UT 8th in its final poll.

In Year 5, TV produced his best team up to that point, the 2022 team, which set all kinds of records, but was upset in the Supers. So while it was actually better than the 2021 team, it didn't go as far in the postseason. We will see what Heupel's 5th team looks like. I think it will be better than the 2024 team. But having to play Florida and Alabama on the road is a tall task.

TV finally won a NC in Year 7. It was his 3rd appearance in Omaha. Heupel's Year 7 will be 2027. Can he win a NC then? Will that 2026 recruiting class push him over the top? How many CFP appearances will he have by then? We'll see.

I also think there are similar staff approaches. Rodney Garner is the grizzled veteran coach who is Heupel's Frank Anderson. Tim Banks may be his Elander...the young future head coach.

Just some random thoughts I had with football being in the offseason and baseball approaching.

tennessee baseball has recruited at a much higher level. its an apples and oranges comparison, but the relative talent level w/ tennessee baseball is much higher.

 

[CAVPUT]

Some of y’all completely miss the concept of “trajectory.”

No, Heupel isn’t where Vitello is. Vitello has been here 7 years, Heupel 4. Is Heupel where Vitello was after 4 years? Yeah. Pretty much. Can he continue that upward trajectory and win a NC? We shall see.

Agreed. Just giving my legal eagle bud a hard time.