Why was Josh Heupel fired from Oklahoma? Exploring reason behind former Sooners staffer's exit

Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers will travel to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners on Saturday. The game holds extra significance as it is the first time Heupel will face Oklahoma since being fired from the program a decade ago.

He was part of the coaching staff at Oklahoma from 2004 to 2014 in various roles and was named the co-offensive coordinator in Dec. 2010, but was fired four years later. After a 40-6 loss to Clemson in 2014, then-coach Bob Stoops realized he needed to make a change and let Heupel go. According to an ESPN article published on Wednesday, then-assistant coach Cale Gundy said:

"Bob had to make a change. I don't know, it was tough. ... It wasn't just struggles on the offensive side. But Bob had to make that decision. An unbelievably tough call."

The 8-5 season that led to Josh Heupel's dismissal started well, with Oklahoma winning its first four games. However, the season quickly unraveled from that point. The Sooners had their worst season under Stoops, losing five of their last nine games, including every matchup against top-25-ranked teams.

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Josh Heupel reflects on his return to Oklahoma

Before his coaching gig, Josh Heupel was a quarterback. He spent two seasons in Oklahoma in 1999 and 2000, and in his second year, he led the team to an undefeated season and a national championship. Additionally, he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and was an All-American.

Former Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator and current coach of the Sooners, Brent Venables, said during SEC Media Days in July:

"I have this deep appreciation for Josh, certainly first and foremost as a player. I've always looked back and said, 'Man, we couldn't have done it without Heupel.' His leadership, what he was able to do from a transformation standpoint to our locker room, the guts and toughness that he played through. I've always held him up here on this pedestal."

Now in his fourth year leading the Tennessee Volunteers, Josh Heupel told reporters during a media availability on Wednesday:

"I had teammates and friends back there. They hit me up a little bit earlier. They were starting last week already. It'll be unique going back into that stadium. ... I don't think I've ever spent a day on the opposing sideline inside of that stadium, not even for a scrimmage. It'll be different, but it's one that I'm really looking forward to." [H/T 247Sports]

The upcoming matchup between the sixth-ranked Volunteers (3-0) and 15th-ranked Sooners (3-0) at OU Memorial Stadium should be an exciting one.