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CBS moves Josh Heupel up seven spots in ranking of college football's top 25 coaches

IMG_3593by:Grant Ramey•05/30/25•

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Tennessee HC Josh Heupel with a box of cigars after the 2022 victory over Alabama
© Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Tennessee Football coach Josh Heupel was ranked as the 16th best head coach in college football by CBS Sports on Thursday, moving up seven spots from last season’s ranking. Georgia’s Kirby Smart, Ohio State’s Ryan Day and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney were the top three coaches in the ranking, respectively.

“I’m sure plenty of people are worried about how Tennessee will look after showing the door to Nico Iamaleava,” Tom Fornelli wrote for CBS, “but when it comes to QBs and offense, Heupel deserves some benefit of the doubt.

“He’s certainly earned the adoration of many Vols fans who are thrilled to see their program return to national relevance. The Vols made the playoffs last year and are 37-15 in four seasons under Heupel, including 20-12 in the SEC.”

Behind Smart, Day and Swinney were Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and Oregon coach Dan Lanning in the top five. Rounding out the top 10 was Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Penn State’s James Franklin, LSU’s Brian Kelly, Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer and Iowa State’s Matt Campbell. 

Also ranked ahead of Heupel was Utah’s Kyle Whittingham, Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, USC’s Lincoln Riley, Kansas State’s Chris Klieman and Kansas coach Lance Leipold.

Josh Heupel got three votes in ESPN’s top-10 ranking

Heupel received three votes in ESPN’s ranking of the top 10 coaches in college football. ESPN’s college football reporters voted in the poll, which also ranked Smart, Day and Swinney at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3.

Marcus Freeman was ranked No. 4, Steve Sarkisian, Dan Lanning, Kalen DeBoer, James Franklin, Kyle Wittingham and Matt Campbell. 

There were 14 other coaches that received votes, including Heupel, but only Kansas State’s Chris Klieman and Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz received less votes than the Tennessee coach, getting one vote each.

The other coaches that received votes were Brian Kelly (13), North Carolina’s Bill Belichick (10), Indiana’s Curt Cignetti (10), Lance Leipold (10), Army’s Jeff Monken (8), Louisville’s Jeff Brohm (6), Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham (5), Lane Kiffin (3), Colorado’s Deion Sanders (3) and SMU’s Rhett Lashlee (3).

Josh Heupel ranked No. 17 in USA Today’s Top 25 College Football Coaches 

Heupel was ranked 17th in USA Today’s top 25 college football coaches earlier this month. That list was also topped by Smart, Day and Swinney. 

Heupel is 37-15 in four seasons as Tennessee’s head coach, including a 20-12 record in SEC games. He led the Vols to the College Football Playoff last season, where they lost in the first round at Ohio State in the first year of the 12-team playoff era. 

Tennessee has won 10 or more games twice under Heupel, finishing 10-3 last season and going 11-2 in 2022, including a win over Clemson in the Orange Bowl in the program’s first New Years Six bowl appearance during the College Football Playoff era. 

“If Tennessee didn’t hit rock bottom after firing Jeremy Pruitt amid an NCAA investigation,” USA Today wrote of Heupel in its rankings, “it at least could reach down and touch the bottom. Then Josh Heupel arrived and pulled the Vols out of peril. 

“He’s beaten Alabama twice. He jolted Tennessee’s offense to life with his warp-speed system. In a sign of coaching growth, he made the playoff by building a good defense. He’s a coach with a high floor, even if he might be nearing his ceiling.”

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