And Josh could occasionally do that and we're like, 'That ain't it.' Mike Leach, he didn't wanna bring Akili Smith in on a visit. 'Nope, not interested.'" Heupel went on to lead Oklahoma to a national championship, finishing as the Heisman Trophy runner-up ...

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has a long history with the school he now leads as head coach. He began coaching there in 1999 as a co-defensive coordiantor and linebackers coach and held those roles until 2003.

For Heupel, who is now in his fourth year as Tennessee’s head coach, life has not always been linear, forcing him to learn constantly and leap when necessary. This is something that Fletcher, who played quarterback at OU from 1996-2000, noticed from the moment Heupel arrived in Norman in 1999.