Where Josh Heupel ranks among SEC football coaches in 2026
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Tennessee will kick off its sixth football season under head coach Josh Heupel in 2026.
He has guided the Vols to a 45-20 (24-16 SEC) record, one College Football Playoff appearance and four bowl games. Heupel has defeated Alabama two times and Florida three times since 2021.
Ahead of the 2026 college football season kicking off, Blake Toppmeyer of USA TODAY ranked the SEC's 16 head coaches.
Heupel is ranked No. 5.
"Heupel has delivered nothing but winning records across eight seasons at Central Florida and Tennessee," Toppmeyer said. "Even after losing Nico Iamaleava, his would-be starting quarterback, mere months before last season, Heupel delivered a potent offense. (The defense became a problem.) He’s a high-floor coach who rarely loses to opponents he shouldn’t, but it's fair to wonder whether he’s peaked. This marks his sixth Tennessee season. His best showing came in Year 2, and 2025 was far from his finest hour."
Georgia's Kirby Smart is ranked No. 1, followed by No. 2 Steve Sarkisian (Texas), No. 3 Kalen DeBoer (Alabama), No. 4 Lane Kiffin (LSU) and Heupel in the top five.
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Where Josh Heupel ranks among SEC football coaches in 2026
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