Derek Owings

Biography

Derek Owings, who oversaw the strength and conditioning program during Indiana's rise to the pinnacle of college football, was named Tennessee's director of football sports performance on Jan. 20, 2026. Owings spent the last six seasons working alongside head coach Curt Cignetti, including the last two at Indiana as the Hoosiers completed one of the most remarkable transformations in college football history. During his two years, IU compiled a 27-2 overall record, two College Football Playoff appearances, a Big Ten title and the school's first national championship. Owings, the 2025 Football Scoop Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year, was on the sideline as the Hoosiers put the finishing touches on a perfect season, becoming the first FBS team to go 16-0 in the modern era. Owings' holistic development of Indiana's roster saw an unprecedented run of individual accolades in his two seasons, including a Heisman Trophy winner, 11 All-America honors, 23 All-Big Ten selections and four Big Ten individual award winners. Prior to Indiana, Owings worked closely with Cignetti as the director of strength and conditioning at James Madison from 2020-23. During his entire tenure as a head strength and conditioning coach from James Madison to Indiana, Owings teams' produced a stellar 65-9 overall record (.878) and a 40-5 record in conference play (.889). Owings reunites with head coach Josh Heupel, with whom he worked at UCF in 2018. Owings was a wide receiver and tight end as a stu