With quarterback coach Joey Halzle’s promotion to offensive coordinator, Tennessee has found its new top offensive assistant.
Halzle has been working with Tennessee coach Josh Heupel in some capacity since 2009, making him one of Heupel’s closest confidants for the past 15 years. The hire is a reminder of Tennessee’s distinctive offensive style, which emphasizes tempo, downfield aggression, and the desire to score every week.
Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker was Halzle’s partner for the past two seasons, when the Vols set 13 offensive records in 2022 alone. That included records for the number of points (599), the number of yards (6,832 yards), and the number of plays per play (7.2).
“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 in a statement Thursday. “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.”
According to ESPN’s Chris Low, Heupel said that he would call plays the following season and that Halzle would “grow into that role as we go,” which is similar to what Alex Golesh did as Heupel’s offensive coordinator at Tennessee.
Tennessee had its first 11-win campaign since 2001 during the season. It culminated in an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson, 31-14.
“I am grateful to Coach Heupel for this opportunity, and I look forward to building on the dynamic offensive success we have achieved thus far,” Halzle said via a statement. “Our offense will continue to be the attacking, sophisticated and up-tempo unit that Vol Nation is accustomed to, while maximizing the potential we have as a team and individually.”
Halzle was an offensive quality control coach at Oklahoma when he first started his career there in 2009. After that, he went on a trip with Heupel to Utah State, Missouri, and UCF, where in 2020, he was made the quarterbacks coach.
At Tennessee, Halzle worked from the booth with Alex Golesh, who was the previous offensive coordinator. They contributed to the school’s best two-year run of quarterback play ever, when the quarterbacks combined for 70 touchdowns and six interceptions.
