Tennessee Wants Championships, But Stability Is Josh Heupel's Realistic Goal

Six times in his introductory press conference as Tennessee's new football coach, Josh Heupel cited the desire to "chase championships." He shared optimism about the immediate future, expressed a desire to develop players on and off the field and recognized the importance of having an elite quarterback.

But as he embraces a program in turmoil and publicly says what he's supposed to say, expectations should be far, far lower.

In the words of former Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon: Try not to suck.

After three successful years at Central Florida, Heupel enters a fickle situation in Knoxville. While he's outwardly hopeful, Tennessee is inwardly preparing for a fight.

The university fired Jeremy Pruitt—who finished 10-16 in the SEC and 16-19 overall in his tenure—after conducting an investigation into "potential recruiting violations within the program," per ESPN's Mark Schlabach and Chris Low.

Because it terminated him for cause, Tennessee won't be responsible for any of his $12.6 million buyout or the compensation otherwise due to fired assistants Brian Niedermeyer and Sheldon Felton.

In a statement to Brett McMurphy of Stadium, Pruitt's attorney accused the university of attempting to "disparage and destroy Coach Pruitt's reputation in an effort to avoid paying his contractual liquidated damages." He said the decision to fire Pruitt appeared to be "preordained and more about financial convenience and expediency than a fair and complete factual determination."

Think about the implications, though.

Sean Rayford/Associated Press

Pruitt will likely sue Tennessee to receive the buyout. So, for the school to win a legal case, it needs to compile as much evidence of improper recruiting as possible. The more evidence, the likelier Tennessee won't pay $12.6 million. And the more evidence, the likelier the NCAA gets involved.

Welcome to Knoxville, Josh; here are some sanctions. Good luck!

The former UCF head coach isn't ignorant to this possibility. An automatic extension is built into his contract if Tennessee faces a postseason ban or scholarship reduction of eight or more, according to Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

Because of the likely penalties, Tennessee had a slim field of options despite its financial power and SEC affiliation. Why would a successful coach choose a school that is both headed for sanctions and has proved willing to damage its program's long-term health to save money?

Short answer: Many of them didn't have interest because Tennessee is an unstable situation.

Steven Godfrey of Banner Society noted "eight or so" contacts with other candidates. ESPN's Adam Rittenberg reported the Vols pursued Penn State head coach James Franklin, Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell, Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott and SMU head coach Sonny Dykes.

Tennessee athletic director Danny White—who was Heupel's boss at UCF a week ago—said he only offered the job to Heupel, his No. 1 candidate. However, that's a matter of semantics. Teams don't offer jobs until the response is a certain yes. Schools hire search firms to determine that answer prior to an official offer.

Caitie McMekin/Associated Press

While Heupel is a fine coach, he wasn't Tennessee's first choice. Still, the Vols are counting on the initial part of that statement carrying over.

Tennessee never had a competent offense in Pruitt's tenure, ending no higher than 67th nationally in yards per play or 97th in scoring. UCF, meanwhile, had top-20 finishes in both categories during all three of Heupel's seasons.

Although his offensive system is quarterback-friendly, there is an ever-growing talent problem on the roster overall.

Since the season ended, Tennessee has lost a wave of key players to the transfer portal. That includes quarterbacks Jarrett Guarantano and JT Shrout, running backs Eric Gray and Ty Chandler, offensive tackles Wanya Morris and Jahmir Johnson, pass-rusher Deandre Johnson, linebackers Henry To'o To'o and Quavaris Crouch, defensive back Key Lawrence and several former 4-star recruits.

Based on those departures alone, expecting Tennessee to chase championships in the immediate future is unrealistic. That can be Heupel's public goal, but it isn't happening.

Factor in the impending NCAA sanctions, and recruiting is certain to be difficult. Plus, Heupel isn't known as an elite recruiter—UCF finished fourth or worse in the AAC alone during the last two cycles, per 247Sports—so he needs to build a staff that can legitimately compete for top talent.

But, again, this is an incredible challenge. Keeping up with Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M, all of which have top-12 classes in 2021, is hard enough. That didn't even include Auburn, Arkansas, Ole Miss or geographical competitors from the ACC such as Clemson. And Tennessee will likely have to do it short-handed in the future.

The Volunteers' perception is guaranteed to take a sizable hit. Heupel's task is preventing it from completely plummeting.

Unsuccessful team. An investigation into recruiting violations. More than a dozen key players leaving. Tough recruiting outlook. If he's sitting on a hot seat in 2024 or 2025 because the program hasn't competed for an SEC title, it won't be surprising. Heupel is starting from an immensely challenging spot.

When Heupel ultimately leaves Knoxville, the administration had better hope the program has shifted from an unappealing job to a recovering, stable opportunity.

So in the meantime, Tennessee: Try not to suck.

Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.