Josh Heupel didn’t talk to his team about his return to Norman ahead of the Vols’ 25-15 win over Oklahoma on Saturday night.
Heupel downplayed the return to the media all week and quarterback Nico Iamaleava made it clear that Tennessee’s fourth-year head coach didn’t talk about it with his team. But listening to Iamaleava, it was also clear that the Vols’ players were well aware of the significance of the matchup for Heupel.
“I knew this was coach Heup coming back to his original home. He went to college here. He coached here,” Iamaleava said postgame. “I knew it meant a lot to him. He didn’t show it as much during the week. We knew what it meant to him and what it meant to us.”
Iamaleava gave Heupel the game ball after he took the final knee of the game, something he said he first thought about at the start of the final drive.
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Tennessee’s redshirt freshman quarterback gave him the game ball again in the postgame locker room after Heupel got emotional thanking his players for having “a little extra” for him.
Iamaleava wasn’t alone in wanting to win for his head coach. Defensive end Josh Josephs said they “got this one” for Heupel. Linebacker Arion Carter said that they “really wanted to pull one out for Coach Heupel.”
The way both Heupel and Tennessee players approached the game is a great look at Vol football. Heupel is a bright head coach who never wants to make things about himself. He’s the furthest thing from egotistical and just wants to focus on the ball.
But his players clearly love and respect him. That’s an encouraging sign about Tennessee football’s culture and is an extra reason to believe that Heupel can keep building a sustainable winner in Knoxville.
