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https://utsports.com/news/2021/2/13/football-heupel-finalizes-offensive-coaching-staff.aspx (https://utsports.com/news/2021/2/13/football-heupel-finalizes-offensive-coaching-staff.aspx)

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – New Tennessee head football coach Josh Heupel has assembled his first offensive coaching staff in Knoxville, it was officially finalized on Monday.

Heupel's offensive staff includes (click on link to full bio):
Kodi Burns – Wide Receivers
Glen Elarbee – Offensive Line
Alex Golesh – Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends
Joey Halzle – Quarterbacks
Jerry Mack – Running Backs
"We look forward to bringing an exciting brand of uptempo offense to Rocky Top," Heupel said. "I am thrilled about the offensive staff we have assembled. They understand what it takes to maximize our potential offensively and will give our student-athletes the proper path to success and development on and off the field. Their energy will be infectious with our current players and in recruiting as well."

Elarbee, Golesh and Halzle were all part of Heupel's elite offenses at UCF, including the 2020 season that saw the Knights rank No. 2 in the FBS in total offense (568.1), No. 4 in passing offense (357.4) and No. 8 in scoring offense (42.2). Heupel's UCF units finished in the top five nationally in total offense and in the top 10 nationally in scoring offense in all three of his seasons.

Burns, who begins his seventh season as an SEC assistant coach, comes to Knoxville after spending the last five seasons as Auburn's co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach from 2016-18 and taking on the role of passing game coordinator from 2019-20.

Elarbee returns to the SEC after stops at LSU and Missouri. Under Elarbee's direction from 2018-20, UCF's offensive line flourished and paved the way for a rushing attack that ranked in the top 25 nationally and top three in the American Athletic Conference all three seasons.

Golesh enters his 18th season at the collegiate level and spent the 2020 season on Heupel's staff as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. Prior to that, Golesh enjoyed four successful seasons as the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Iowa State from 2016-19.

Halzle, a three-time Big 12 Conference champion quarterback at Oklahoma, begins his 13th season alongside Heupel. He spent two seasons at UCF, including the 2020 campaign as quarterbacks coach. The two have been instrumental together in elite quarterback development for 10 seasons. As a player, Halzle was part of a skilled quarterback room that included Sam Bradford, who captured the 2008 Heisman Trophy in his final season.

Mack, a Memphis native, owns 17 years of collegiate coaching experience and five conference championships. He was a three-time HBCU Coach of the Year at North Carolina Central. Mack served as the offensive coordinator at Rice the past three seasons. 

Salaries (we went on the cheap compared to the last staff)
Golesh 3 yrs. 750k (about half our last OC)
Ellarbee. 3yrs. 750k
Mack. 2 yrs. 400k
Halzle. 2 yrs. 350k
Burns. 2 yrs. 300k/425k

It seems guaranteed our offense will improve significantly.

It also seems unlikely our defense can be as bad, though I've been very wrong before.

All in know is that Heupel inherited an undefeated team and took them to mediocrity.  But I guess mediocrity is better than what we have had the last 15 years. Those numbers are impressive if you think East Carolina , UConn, Navy and USF type schools play better defense than UGa, Bama, UF, aTm etc. How many of these schools will we put 500+ yards up against. Do you expect these numbers against many SEC opponents?

CLUELESS, as usual :doh:

Nope . Just not a blind dumbass like some. Answer this question.  Will his numbers be close to the same at UT?  I say no. If you think different, we will see. SEC is not the AAC. Ask Scott Frost. What about my question is clueless? Look at this years schedule. A normal UT team should win 8-9 games with the only losses to the usual suspects, Bama, UGa and UF.  Probably won't win that many just looking at the talent that has said so-long to Knoxville. What is a fair win goal to put on this staff? Should win all four OOC games. Do we win at least 3-5 conference games? What is your early win total for this new staff. I say 7 should be expected. If not they are underachieving.

 :violin: :violin:

All I am saying is those previous numbers mean nothing. It does no good to gush all over yourself trying to make them relevant to an SEC coaching job. Most coaches have good numbers at G5 schools before being hired by P5 schools. It usually doesn't mean these type numbers will transfer to the new job.

Only 1 SEC team put up 500+ yards of offense in a single game last year, so quit making it sound like this is a common occurrence. And to help you from having to look, your team in Tuscaloosa was not that team.

Now see if this helps. UCF averaged 568 yards/game in 2020. If Heupel's offense was throttled back by 75% due to SEC defenses, it would still out perform what our offense has achieved from a yardage output perspective over the past 4 seasons.

Nobody is expecting 500+ yards/game with Heupel's offense, but we can see an opportunity to move the ball and put points on the scoreboard with this hire. So pull back on then hyperbole and check your data when throwing numbers around.

You get that JH was going up against those AAC defenses with an AAC offense, right? It's not like he was running up those numbers with bama's roster.

I'm as skeptical of JH as anyone, but you're making bad faith arguments.

No I'm not. Nothing bad faith about it. Out of the last five coaches we have hired, which one did/do you have the most confidence in before he coached a down at UT? You kind of made my point. What would Bama's offense have done against that AAC schedule. What would UCF's have done against that SEC schedule. Doesn't that make the top offenses in the SEC look even more daunting, doing it against all SEC foes. My point is it does no good to compare AAC stats to SEC stats. He will not average 42.2 points per game against SEC teams. If he does, then God Bless him and hallelujah. I do think he will develop the players a lot better than the last three have.  Maybe we can see some competent QB play.  Plus, it shouldn't be that hard if he is that great of an offensive mind, to have a better offense than last years.

SEC isn't the defensive conference they were once noted for. It's become a more offensive game and Saban learned that and changed a few years back and Bama's defense has dropped off since changing to a more wide open offense attack...

SEC Total Team Defense rank 2020 season

12th. UGA
32nd. Bama (Use to be in top 5 or better)
45th. KY
52nd. Miss State
63rd. Auburn
65th. UT
66th. Mizzou
83rd. Florida
105th. South Carolina
106th. Arkansas
121st. Vandy
124th. LSU
126th. Ole Miss

I get that. Of course they didn't put up  500 yards frequently. The SEC still has better athletes all over the field than the AAC. How many yards and points would UF and Bama have playing all AAC teams. It would be ridiculous. How many defensive players will be drafted from the AAC in the NFL draft vs the SEC. Won't even be close. So yes, the SEC is still has better defenses than the AAC. Plus Huepel's teams slowly got worse.

You guys act like I don't want Huepel to be successful. I hope he has offenses that break every record. It still takes a lot more than offense. Why was he 6-4 this year? The offense wasn't enough,obviously.

UCF has 4 on the NFL draft board right now.

You recruit to the competition you play and compete with......Is FAU...UCF....USF...FIU...Memphis...Houston....App State etc going to load up with 4 and 5 star players? Hell no....So your usual negative remarks about coming from one lower conference to the SEC are stupid. If head coaches from those schools come to the SEC...Big 10....Big 12 they are smart enough to know they can't recruit at their previous schools levels and expect to compete for anything. If Heupel and staff recruits AAC level players it's not going to work over time and he won't be here 4 years from now....He's been here 3 weeks and I don't know how it will work out and neither do you but we all know you will bitch and moan about everything.

Most UT fans know we are a dumpster fire right now....we are trying to compete with KY....USC....Mizzou...Ark...Ole Miss...Miss State right now and hopefully dig out of the hole in a few years. There's nothing anyone of us fans can do about it but either support the program or don't... But keep bitching and moaning.....We all  :laugh: at you.

Scott Frost ring a bell. He was the next Lombardy before he left the same UCF school.  He knew P5 was a different game. He knows he has to recruit at a higher level. How's it going for him?

 :laugh: :dielaughing:

 :violin:

I do support the program. But I do admire the way you always put lipstick on those pigs. We will see how well we did in our hire. Other large schools seem to know more what they're doing in their hires. Some don't  :run:

 :laugh: :laugh: :dielaughing:

:violin:

Feeding a troll will only make the troll more hungry.

Okay the bitching and moaning over this hire is done. Let's leave Huepel alone and see what he can do.

:violin:

(https://www.resourceumc.org/-/media/import/leadersimportweek1/how-to-respond-when-negativity-hits-your-facebook-page-690.ashx?rev=e8b051aa5cf149fc892a556e652427a1?mw=1200&hash=DE5FB125F7E6FC6C49043F34873D01A0C84152C0)

Offensive staff press conference (each coach speaking)

https://twitter.com/Vol_Football/status/1362085154978586626 (https://twitter.com/Vol_Football/status/1362085154978586626)

A couple of them impressed me
Jerry Mack was very impressive
From an offensive staff perspective I think we have upgraded
Whether that translates to results on the field remains to be seen
I do believe our QB play will improve (one could say it couldn't get worse) and I believe a couple of responses were directed at a certain in-state QB that is announcing his decision before the end of the month

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EudaNedXEAYncRA?format=jpg&name=large)

me like!

Maybe it's just that particular pic, but he could pass for Matthew McConaughey's stunt double. :dunno:

That was a direct should out to the incoming FR QB and the instate 22 QB

With the fast receivers we have and the emphasis to get the ball to the edges and deep why would you not come here to play QB in this offense

We'll see how it goes, but their track record is very good. I was extremely impressed by the professionalism of each, and by the emphasis on matching offense to existing personnel.

Kodi Burns point about WRs needing to make the contested catch was key. Jennings and Callaway covered for a myriad of QB shortcomings.

I have no doubts that we will improve. The question is how much? If we can start beating everyone not named Bama, UF and UGa would be a great start.