Joe Castiglione lets his words linger like a Harvest Moon.

His brief response stands alone and needs no further explanation.

Just two syllables. Seven letters.

This is how Castiglione sums up Oklahoma’s feelings towards Josh Heupel.

“Beloved,” stated Castiglione, Oklahoma’s longtime athletics director, during our conversation this week.

No question about it.

Heupel is still a celebrated figure in Oklahoma, and Castiglione mentioned that the university has plans to honor him prior to the game when the No. 13 Sooners face No. 7 Tennessee this Saturday.

“We’re sorting through everything, but we will definitely acknowledge him in a suitable manner,” Castiglione said.

Once the game starts, however, Heupel will be on the opposite sideline, leading the strong Vols, a position he attained partially because of being fired by Oklahoma nearly ten years ago — a pivotal moment in his coaching journey.

The day Bob Stoops dismissed Heupel in January 2015, the former star quarterback and loyal assistant gained an additional motivation.

This termination also liberated Heupel from ties to his alma mater, giving him the opportunity to start over.

Heupel embarked on a journey from Norman, unencumbered, to create the offensive system he envisioned. This system has played a crucial role in restoring Tennessee’s stature, freeing him from the lingering influence of Stoops.

Today, Heupel’s career is shining brighter than ever.

So, does he consider his OU firing a hidden blessing?

“Yes, absolutely,” Heupel affirmed on Wednesday. “I’m proud of much of what we accomplished during my time at Oklahoma, but I wouldn’t alter anything.

“I’m grateful and feel fortunate to be here, and I genuinely love it at Rocky Top.”

Josh Heupel ‘talked a little more trash than I was used to’

Barry Odom had only one game against Josh Heupel during the 1999 Big 12 season in Norman to recognize he was not like most quarterbacks he faced.

“He talked a little more trash than I was accustomed to from quarterbacks, but he backed it up with his performance,” remarked Odom, a former linebacker for Missouri and now the head coach at UNLV.

The drive that Heupel exhibits had been present even before Stoops dismissed him.

This motivation may stem from Heupel being undervalued as a standout quarterback from Aberdeen, South Dakota. He took the path through the Football Championship Subdivision and junior college stops before Mike Leach recruited him to play quarterback under Stoops at Oklahoma. In 2000, Heupel finished as the Heisman runner-up, leading Oklahoma to its only national championship in the past 38 years.

Stoops’ decision to let Heupel go later only fueled that drive further.

And Odom appreciated this aspect.

After becoming Missouri’s head coach just before the 2016 season, Odom sought an innovative approach to the Tigers’ offense.

Missouri had an up-and-coming quarterback, Drew Lock, and Odom wanted someone who understood quarterbacks.

“I wanted someone with a quarterback’s perspective,” Odom noted.

Who better than Heupel?

Having just completed a season as Utah State’s offensive coordinator, Odom aimed to recruit Heupel for the same position at Missouri. However, he found it challenging to persuade Heupel to make the move.

“It wasn’t simple to get him hired since he is such a loyal individual,” Odom stated.

While Odom focused on defense, Heupel took charge of the offense, essentially acting as Missouri’s “head coach of the offense,” as Odom described it.

“I had faith in him,” Odom affirmed. “Nobody in the facility outworked him.”

Heupel had the freedom to put in the high-paced spread offense that defined his role and later fueled his head coaching triumphs at Central Florida and Tennessee.

Missouri’s offense saw a significant boost during Heupel’s initial season on Odom’s staff. The following year, their performance greatly improved, along with Heupel’s career.

When UCF came calling, Odom realized Heupel couldn’t pass on that opportunity. He always expected their time together would be brief.

“I knew he wouldn’t stay with us long,” Odom added, “because of his vision, consistency, disciplined approach, and big-picture understanding.”

What about Stoops’ perspective on the broader picture a decade ago?

Did he make the right decision?

It’s difficult to provide a clear answer, but consider this: Stoops recruited Lincoln Riley to take over the offense. The Sooners achieved 11 wins in each of the following two seasons before Stoops retired. Riley stepped up as Oklahoma’s head coach, leading the Sooners to three consecutive playoff appearances before leaving for Southern California.

By that time, Heupel had successfully revitalized the Tennessee program.

Why Bob Stoops Dismissed Josh Heupel, an ‘Iconic Figure’ of Oklahoma Football

Changes were necessary after Oklahoma’s disappointing 2014 season, which concluded with a crushing 40-6 defeat to Clemson.

In response, Stoops revamped his offensive team, keeping his brother Mike Stoops as defensive coordinator while letting go of co-offensive coordinators Heupel and Jay Norvell.

This decision ended Heupel’s nine-year tenure on Stoops’ staff and eliminated any chance of him becoming Stoops’ successor.

According to Stoops’ autobiography, firing Heupel was “the worst day” in his 18 years coaching the Sooners.

It’s typical for coaches to make changes to their staff after a season laden with disappointments, and 2014 certainly fit that mold. The Sooners started the season rated as the third-best team but closed it with a defeat against rival Oklahoma State and a poor performance in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

However, the decision to fire Heupel was particularly striking. He was more than just a regular assistant; he was integral to the identity of Oklahoma football. He had won over Sooners fans and played a crucial role in Stoops’ success, first as a player and later as an assistant who helped develop Sam Bradford.

“He is one of the iconic figures in Oklahoma football history,” said Castiglione, the school’s athletic director since 1998.

Castiglione reminisced about Heupel’s time as quarterback during Oklahoma’s legendary 2000 season, when the Sooners achieved consecutive victories against No. 10 Texas, No. 3 Kansas State, and No. 1 Nebraska, a period he referred to as “Red October.”

He also emphasized Heupel’s “positive and notable impact” throughout his coaching tenure with Stoops.

“I can’t speak for Coach (Stoops), but it was an extremely tough decision to take a step back and consider what a coach believes needs to be done,” Castiglione noted. “But there was absolutely no implication that anyone was being used as a scapegoat. It was simply a moment when a leader felt changes were essential.”

Stoops, who did not respond to requests for an interview, issued a public statement expressing his “great respect” for Heupel and current Sooners coach Brent Venables, another of his former assistants.

In his statement, Stoops referred to Heupel as “the MVP of all my recruits” and “the catalyst” of his era.

After this turning point, Heupel emerged as a key figure for Tennessee.

Blake Toppmeyer is the national college football columnist for the YSL News Network. You can follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.