Josh Heupel riles up UCF fan base with comment from SEC Media Days
Josh Heupel has moved on from Central Florida, and is settling into his new job at Tennessee. But he’s still drawing quite a reaction from the UCF fan base.
Asked about being prepared for the Tennessee job because of his experience at UCF, and plenty of Knight fans raised an objection. Here’s what Heupel said earlier this week.
“I think you grow with every experience you have, as a player, as an assistant coach, as a head coach. This job is different than the job I took over at UCF, and every job is different, whether it’s your recruiting base, your conference, your location, the university. There’s so many factors that go into it,” Heupel said. “I think that I obviously have grown over the course of my three years, and being able to communicate and build a program from the bottom up.”
The “bottom up” part of the comment was especially objectionable for Knight fans.
They recall that Heupel, after he took over in 2018, lead the program to yet another undefeated regular season. The Knights went 12-0 on the year before falling to No. 11 ranked LSU in the Fiesta Bowl. But after a 10-3 season in 2019, Heupel went 6-4 last season. After three straight regressing seasons, including marks of 12-1, 10-3 and 6-4.
Here’s a sampling of the reaction:
Built from the ground? Built up???? Has someone asked for him to be drug tested?
— The Real Carlos #patriayvida #sosCuba (@DikaiaKnight) July 20, 2021
Josh Heupel didn’t build anything at UCF. He was given keys to a Lamborghini and couldn’t handle it. https://t.co/I3gNlgJ7i2
— UCF Knights! (@ChargeOn3) July 21, 2021
UCF, 2017, Frost: 13-0 (NY6 win)
UCF, 2018, Heupel: 12-1 (NY6 win)
UCF, 2019, Heupel: 10-3 (Bowl game win)
UCF, 2020, Heupel: 6-4 (Bowl game loss)That’s an odd sequence of seasons for building a program “from the bottom up”. But what do I know? https://t.co/PPkA0nYP2S
— Em (@emily_banister) July 21, 2021
So after this, @coachjoshheupel is either stupid or a liar. He took over a 13-0 team and steadily declined each year. 12-1 to 10-4 to a very underwhelming 6-4 with some terrible losses. I don’t see how that is growing. Either personally or as a program. https://t.co/AahR6c7mwM
— John Fiore 🤙🔟 #OHANA (@jfee76) July 21, 2021
Heupel actually said this???
He literally did the opposite of building “a program from the bottom up.” He inherited a roster loaded with talent, and regressed every single year. https://t.co/QeuD9mf63G
— 🔥 (@FearThePegasus) July 21, 2021
What a joke..
Started from the bottom of an undefeated national championship..
But the real punch will come when he wins 3 games over the next 2 years at Tennessee 😂😂 https://t.co/svXcTkRXoi
— Mike Margittai ↙️ Football Alliance (@DraftMaverick) July 21, 2021
Can’t tell you how happy I am to have this goober gone. https://t.co/QYygiPIihM
— Alex Bitter (@alexbitter11) July 21, 2021