For the bulk of the 2022 season, Tennessee's passing offense was the most terrifying in college football, behind a 2-man combination of coordinator Alex Golesh and quarterback Hendon Hooker.
Both men were not available in the Orange Bowl. Hooker was lost for the year in late November to a torn ACL, and Golesh left the staff ahead of the game after landing the head coaching job at South Florida.
It was Next Man Up in the Dec. 30 win over Clemson, and Tennessee continued to thrive.
Backup Joe Milton hit 19-of-28 passes for 251 yards with three touchdowns against no interceptions in the 31-14 win, providing confidence he can handle the QB1 duties heading into 2023.
And to replace Golesh, Heupel is also going with his Next Man Up.
Tennessee announced quarterbacks coach Joey Halzle will replace Golesh as offensive coordinator.
Introduction not necessary.
— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) January 5, 2023
The new Vols OC → @CoachHalzle
Not only do Josh Heupel and Joey Halzle share initials, they also share backgrounds as former Oklahoma quarterbacks. Halzle was a backup on OU's back-to-back-to-back Big 12 champion squads from 2006-08, then joined the coaching staff in 2009 as a quality control assistant before moving to a graduate assistant from 2012-14. He worked with Heupel all nine seasons, who coached OU's quarterbacks from 2006-14 and served as co-offensive coordinator and play-caller from 2011-14.
Halzle has been with Heupel almost ever since, serving as assistant quarterbacks coach at Utah State in 2015 and at Missouri in 2016. He left coaching for the 2017-18 seasons, then returned as an offensive analyst on Heupel's UCF staff in 2019. Halzle finally earned an on-field role as quarterbacks coach in 2020, then carried those duties over to Tennessee in 2021 and '22.
"Joey has been instrumental in our record-setting offensive success over the past two seasons, and he's built great trust within our team," Heupel said. "I have known Joey for over 15 years, and his track record of player development has impacted every place he has been. He has complete knowledge of our aggressive offensive identity and principles. Having played and coached at this level, he understands how to connect with players and will continue to make a significant impact in recruiting. This will be a seamless transition for him as we strive to build a championship program that Vol Nation is proud of."
Tennessee finished the season fifth nationally in passing at 326.1 yards per game while, more importantly, booking its best season of the 21st century with an 11-2 record, a New Year's Six bowl win and a likely AP Top 5 finish -- none of which had been accomplished on Rocky Top since 1999.
Sources expect Heupel to handle play-calling duties in 2023 after handing them over to Golesh last season, and that Heupel will fill Golesh's spot on the 10-man, on the-field staff by hiring a tight ends coach.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.