Josh Heupel is sixth active Tennessee coach to take Vols to a No. 1 ranking
Josh Heupel joined a crowded list of Tennessee coaches when he took his football program to the No. 1 ranking in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 of the new season in November.
As Tennessee athletics noted on Twitter, the Vols have six active coaches that have led his or her program to a No. 1 ranking during their time at Tennessee — Heupel, baseball coach Tony Vitello, men’s tennis coach Chris Woodruff, basketball coach Rick Barnes, men’s golf coach Brennon Webb and softball coach Karen Weekly:
“When the football team earned the top spot in the first edition of the 2022 (College Football Playoff) rankings, it made Josh Heupel the sixth active head coach to guide his/her Tennessee program to a No. 1 national ranking. The others are baseball coach Tony Vitello (6 polls, 2022), men’s tennis coach Chris Woodruff (ITA, 2022), men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes (AP & Coaches, 2019), men’s golf coach Brennon Webb (Golfweek, 2018) and softball coach Karen Weekly (NFCA & USA Softball, 2014, 2007)”
A fun fact for your Friday:
— Tennessee Athletics (@Vol_Sports) January 6, 2023
Six active Tennessee head coaches have led their programs to a No. 1 ranking pic.twitter.com/F2j9RGIvuj
Tennessee football started the season 8-0, beating Florida and Alabama at Neyland Stadium and going on the road to beat LSU at Baton Rouge, to earn the No. 1 ranking in the first CFP poll.
“We didn’t know where we would be ranked,” Heupel said back in November after the initial rankings came out, “but we figured we would be somewhere near the top. At the end of the day one of the things that our players have done here is we’ve tried to enjoy the journey. Take moments to pause and reflect and enjoy what our players have built here. They’ve built this.
“Three years ago, it didn’t look like this. But this is a proud tradition, a massive fanbase that loves the Power T. They’re excited about the way our players are playing. Embrace it.
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Tennessee was ranked No. 1 in both football and baseball in 2022
The Vols won 10 games in the regular season for the first time since 2003 and, with the 31-14 win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl, won 11 games for the first time since 2001, finishing the year 11-2.
Vitello’s Tennessee baseball program won the SEC Tournament championship in May and was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after a 50-win regular season. The Vols won 23 straight games and started 9-0 in SEC play, sweeping Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Missouri, while going to the top of the rankings.
Tennessee basketball was the No. 1 team in the country for multiple weeks during the 2018-19 season, setting a program record with 19 straight wins. The Vols would go on to win 31 games and advance to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Tennessee tennis stayed at No. 1 back in January after earning all 12 first-place votes in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Division I Men’s Top 25 Coaches Poll.
