According to Austin Price of On3’s Volquest, the University of Tennessee recently filled its linebackers coach position with William Inge, who previously worked alongside new Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer at Washington. Initially, Inge was reportedly set to join DeBoer at Alabama to coach outside linebackers, but that arrangement fell through for undisclosed reasons.
In a curious turn of events, Inge became the second coach in a week to backtrack on joining DeBoer’s staff at Alabama, following offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb’s decision to accept a position with the Seattle Seahawks. Grubb also persuaded Scott Huff, formerly the offensive line coach at Washington and Alabama, to join him, resulting in three coaches departing from DeBoer’s staff since his appointment on January 12th. This series of changes has drawn attention, suggesting tumult within DeBoer’s coaching team.
Inge, a 50-year-old native of Missouri, boasts a diverse coaching background spanning various institutions. His coaching journey began as a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator at Iowa in 1998 after concluding his playing career. He subsequently held positions at Northern Iowa and several other schools, including a brief stint as the defensive coordinator at Buffalo. Notably, he spent six years at Indiana, where he held multiple coaching roles before joining DeBoer’s staff during his tenure at Indiana, followed by stops at Fresno State and Washington.
Despite the fluctuations in his coaching trajectory, assessing Inge’s coaching prowess solely based on his teams’ defensive performance might be overly simplistic, especially considering his role as a linebackers coach. Nonetheless, his track record as a recruiter, with involvement in recruiting numerous highly-rated prospects, reflects his ability to attract talent from various regions, including the Midwest, Florida, Georgia, and California.
Inge’s appointment at Tennessee, alongside newly hired running backs coach De’Rail Sims, indicates a willingness from head coach Heupel and defensive coordinator Banks to think beyond conventional norms in coaching hires. While their coaching abilities are not a significant concern, the real test lies in whether their recruiting expertise will effectively translate within the competitive landscape of the SEC, echoing past uncertainties surrounding coaching hires like Jerry Mack.
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