Tennessee football employs two significant head coaches in the off-season.
The Vols appoint William Inge to coach linebackers and De’Rail Sims to coach running backs.
WVLT – KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On Monday, Tennessee football was in action. The Vols added two key players to strengthen the coaching staff: William Inge, a former co-defensive coordinator for Washington, and De’Rail Sims, a former running backs coach for Cincinnati.
Since he has coached at East Carolina, James Madison, Western Carolina, Louisville, and Carson-Newman, among other schools, Sims is no stranger to Tennessee. Sims was the running backs coach and video coordinator at Carson Newman in 2012, when he assisted in leading the Eagles to a 9-3 regular season and the NCAA II playoffs. With 52 touchdowns on the ground and an average of 380 running yards, the team topped the country.
During his three seasons as an instructor at James Madison, Sims’ teams amassed a 28-2 record, capturing the
Conversely, Inge will take over as linebackers coach in place of Brian Jean-Mary, who left to take a position at Michigan. From 1993 to 1996, Inge was a defensive end for the Iowa Hawkeyes in college football. He also started his coaching career there as a graduate assistant. After spending time as a coach at Colorado, San Diego State, Cincinnati, Indiana, Buffalo, and Northern Iowa, the native of Missouri spent four seasons at Northern Iowa.
With a salary of almost $700,000 at Washington last year, Inge will be the more expensive of the two recruits, according to our partners at Volquest.
William Inge, the linebackers coach, was intercepted by Tennessee football while traveling from Washington to Alabama.
According to a person with firsthand knowledge of the matter, UT plans to employ Inge, Knox News reported on Monday. Since there hasn’t been an official announcement, the source asked to remain anonymous.
William Inge is hired as the linebackers coach by Tennessee, not Alabama.
According to reports, Inge was on his way to Alabama to get up with former Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer. Rather, he was hired by the Vols to become their new linebackers coach.
Brian Jean-Mary, who departed last week to join Michigan’s staff, will be replaced by Inge. Under UT coach Josh Heupel, this is the first new defensive assistant coach appointed since he put together his initial staff in 2021.
At two colleges over the previous four seasons, Inge worked under DeBoer. In 2022–2023 he served as the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for Washington. Additionally, he served as Fresno State’s linebackers coach and defensive coordinator in 2020–21.
Iowa (1998–2000), Northern Iowa (2001–04), Colorado (2005), San Diego State (2006–07), Cincinnati (2008–09), University of Buffalo (2010–11), Buffalo Bills (2012), and Indiana (2013–19) are among Inge’s former coaching stints.
Head coach Josh Heupel has promoted from inside the Tennessee Vols to fill staff openings the last two times they have occurred.
Heupel is stepping outside the program this time.
The hire of De’Rail Sims, the running backs coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats, by Tennessee to succeed Jerry Mack, who departed earlier this month to go for the Jacksonville Jaguars, was announced on Monday afternoon.
For the past two seasons, head coach Josh Heupel has been promoted from inside the Tennessee Vols to replace staff vacancies.
This time, Heupel is going outside the program.
It was revealed on Monday afternoon that Tennessee had hired De’Rail Sims, the running backs coach for the Cincinnati Bearcats, to replace Jerry Mack, who left earlier this month to join the Jacksonville Jaguars.
