Tennessee went to the top of the college football world to get its new strength and conditioning coach.
Derek Owings, who spent the past two seasons as Indiana’s director of athletic performance, was hired Tuesday as the new director of competition development for Josh Heupel’s Volunteers. Owings is replacing Kurt Schmidt, who had served in the role for Heupel’s first five seasons in Knoxville.
Owings helped Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers compile a 16-0 season that culminated with Monday night’s 27-21 topping of Miami in the championship game of the College Football Playoff.
“Physical and mental toughness is paramount in everything we do year-round as a program,” Heupel said Tuesday through a release. “No one understands this better at a championship level than Derek. He will elevate our strength and conditioning program with a relentless mindset and forge strong relationships with our players.
“He has a proven track record of utilizing modern training methods to maximize speed and strength while specializing in injury prevention. He also understands what it takes to build an elite nutrition program to ensure our players are set up for on-field success and durability.”