Tennessee, Josh Heupel agree to contract extension through 2029, $4 million raise annually

Josh Heupel helped engineer an impressive turnaround at Tennessee in 2022. He’s now being rewarded for his efforts.

Heupel has agreed to a contract extension through 2029 and will see his salary increase to $9 million — which is a $4 million raise, according to On3 and VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs. He just completed his second season as the Volunteers’ head coach after arriving from UCF, and he got Tennessee back into the national spotlight in college football.

Tennessee went 11-2 this season, one year after a 7-6 record in Heupel’s first season at the helm. The Volunteers became known for their high-powered offense, leading the SEC with 525.5 yards per game and 46.1 points per game behind quarterback Hendon Hooker. They also got one of the biggest wins in recent memory when they knocked off Alabama at Neyland Stadium thanks to a last-second field goal — setting off a celebration for the ages.

Even despite losing Hooker to a season-ending injury against South Carolina, Tennessee still clinched a spot in the Orange Bowl against Clemson, winning the game 31-14. After that game, Heupel looked back on the culture he and his staff started to build.

“I just know that where we started, where we’ve gotten to, but there’s so much left out there for us,” Heupel said. “It’s in individual habits, it’s in us continuing to improve in communication as coaches, refining what we’re doing inside of our building, as we continue to develop depth inside of our program, recruit.

“One of the great lessons, I said this to the football team after the game tonight, is two years ago there was so much outside noise that wasn’t necessarily positive, and none of those guys paid attention to it. They decided collectively and individually to go accomplish something, and they worked for it.”

Josh Heupel on Tennessee’s future: ‘The best is yet to come’

Heupel and Tennessee now will look ahead to some young talent coming in next year. The Volunteers brought in the No. 12 recruiting class in the nation this year, according to the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings, headlined by five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. He’s likely to compete with Milton for the starting job in 2023.

It’s a far cry from what it was when Heupel took over the program following the firing of Jeremy Pruitt. He noted everything his players have been through during their time in Knoxville and said this is only the beginning.

“All the adversity this group has faced during their careers, what they’ve done in the last 23 months, couldn’t be prouder of a group of individuals,” Heupel said after the Orange Bowl. “These players, our staff, Vol Nation, everybody’s been along for the journey, man. It’s been a fun climb. The best is yet to come, but really proud of what we did.”