KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Tennessee football will play in the Citrus Bowl on Jan. 1 against the Iowa Hawkeyes. It's been a season of ups and downs, but UT is once again in a bowl on New Year's Day.
Athletic Director Danny White doesn't see this year as a step back to last season's Orange Bowl victory and 12-1 season. He is focused on Vol football on a larger scale. He is looking at the football program in five-year stints at a time.
In three years of the Josh Heupel era, White has liked what he has seen.
“I think we are way ahead of schedule competitively," he told WBIR.
White pointed to the team's staff taking over at the University of Tennessee, amid an NCAA investigation for recruiting violations in the Jeremy Pruitt era, and still creating hype.
White is happy with an Orange Bowl win and a 12-1 season last year and also happy Tennessee football followed that up with a Citrus Bowl appearance this season. White said, more importantly, he wants to continue the trajectory of positive culture, training and recruiting.
“All of those things, if we do it the right way, I think we will like the result when the time comes,” he said.
A lot of the upward trajectory he, of course, credits to Vols head coach Josh Heupel who has compiled a 27-11 record at UT in three seasons.
“I think he has been phenomenal," White said. "I think he has been a great leader to a lot of young men. A group of young men that originally, from day one, was broken. He has turned the ship very quickly. “
White says he believes what Heupel is doing will keep the success coming.
“He’s doing all the right things from a culture standpoint that allow you to have the kind of success that is sustainable and healthy, that I know will make our fans and the state of Tennessee proud,” he said.