KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Josh Heupel has been named the co-winner of the Football Writers Association of America’s Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach Award, the FWAA announced on Monday night.
This award, presented annually to the best coach in his first year at a school, was given to Heupel and another SEC East coach, Shane Beamer of South Carolina.
Heupel becomes the first two-time recipient of the award. He also won it in 2018 at UCF after posting 12 wins and a No. 11 final ranking in his first season with the Knights.
Heupel led the Vols to a 7-6 record in 2021. He becomes one of only five Vol head coaches in the last 80 years to win seven or more games in his first season at Tennessee.
The Vols finished the 2021 season averaging 39.31 points per game and averaging 474.9 yards of offense per game.
Heupel led the Vols to a bowl game in his debut season, falling to Purdue in the Music City Bowl on December 30th, 2021.
