​Former Tennessee football assistant coach Joe Osovet begins his fifth year as head coach at Heritage High School in Maryville, Tennessee.The Mountaineers finished 4-5 (3-4 Region 2-4A) in 2025 and did make the playoffs after being reclassified from Class 5A.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn four seasons at Heritage, Osovet has compiled a 16-23 overall record and has not qualified for the postseason. He inherited a program who finished 0-10 in 2021 and lost 15 consecutive games.In 2024, Osovet and the Mountaineers went 5-5. Heritage failed to qualify for the TSSAA Class 5-A playoffs, going 0-4 in Region 2-5A play. The Mountaineers were 3-7 in 2023 after going 4-6 during Osovet’s first season in 2022.Entering 2026, Osovet and the Mountaineers are looking to end a postseason drought. Heritage last competed in the playoffs during the 2016 season.Osovet discussed the 2026 season with Vols Wire.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”This year, our goal is what it is,” Osovet said. “We want to make the playoffs and we want to beat William Blount.”The former Tennessee assistant coach is optimistic about the upcoming season.”We have to replace some pieces,” he said. “We’ll have a new quarterback and we have some key guys back up front.”We have both of our linebackers back and we have some strengths at the skill positions on the perimeter. We have the best wide receivers that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”Heritage will kick off its 2026 season with a home game against Clinton High School (Clinton, Tennessee) on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. EDT.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementClinton is coached by Jake Dawson, who worked with Osovet at Tennessee and was also an assistant coach at Heritage.Osovet served as tight ends coach for the Vols in 2020. He also served as Tennessee’s director of player development (2018) and director of football programming (2019) under head coach Jeremy Pruitt.1 / 19Oct. 2, 2004; Knoxville, Tennessee; Tennessee Volunteer tailgaters prior to kickoff against the Auburn Tigers at Neyland Stadium.(Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports)Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Joe Osovet discusses fifth season as Heritage’s head coach