ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit Blasts Major College Football Fan Base

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ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit Blasts Major College Football Fan Base

Kirk Herbstreit called out an SEC fan base during the latest episode of his "Nonstop" podcast.

Last Saturday, Herbstreit was at Neyland Stadium to call a top-25 showdown between Oklahoma and Tennessee. Despite not getting the best performance from John Mateer, the Sooners ran for 192 yards against the Volunteers. More importantly, Brent Venables' defense forced three turnovers on the road.

After Tennessee dropped to 6-3 on the season, Herbstreit noticed that some fans called for head coach Josh Heupel's job. He's 43-18 since taking over the Volunteers in 2021.

Herbstreit made it clear that he's tired of fans constantly calling for coaching changes after a loss.

"Tip of the cap to the fans, to the game ops at Tennessee. It's as good of a scene, to me, as there is in the country when they're rolling. And I think — I heard some nonsense from Tennessee fans about, 'Josh Heupel's got to go! Everybody's — whoever loses has got to go.' Man, bull (expletive). Have you thought about where Tennessee's football program was before Josh Heupel got there? Have you thought about how many years you were irrelevant? Off-the-field issues, drama, BS all going," Herbstreit said, via 247Sports.

"You can't win every game. It doesn't mean you don't have a good coach. It doesn't mean you don't have a good program. You're lucky to have Josh Heupel. You're lucky to have this program. You're lucky to have the AD (Danny White) you have. You guys are heading in a great direction. Be grateful. It's going to come."

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – NOVEMBER 30: Head Coach Josh Heupel of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on prior to the game between the Tennessee Volunteers and the Vanderbilt Commodores at FirstBank Stadium on November 30, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images

Should Heupel be on the hot seat?

Barring an epic collapse over the next year, Heupel shouldn't be feeling any pressure. He's a season removed from leading Tennessee to the College Football Playoff.

Besides, the Volunteers had to spend an entire offseason dealing with the Nico Iamaleava drama. The fact Heupel managed to get a worthy replacement in Joey Aguilar is a testament to his offensive prowess.

Tennessee will finish the 2025 season with games against New Mexico State, Florida and Vanderbilt.

This story was originally reported by The Spun on Nov 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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