Tennessee Vols DC Tim Banks makes strong statement about new LBs coach William Inge
For the first time during the Josh Heupel era, the Tennessee Vols had to replace a defensive coach during the offseason. Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary left the Vols earlier this year to return to Michigan, where he worked in 2020 before joining Heupel's inaugural coaching staff at Tennessee. Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks replaced […]
For the first time during the Josh Heupel era, the Tennessee Vols had to replace a defensive coach during the offseason.
Linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary left the Vols earlier this year to return to Michigan, where he worked in 2020 before joining Heupel's inaugural coaching staff at Tennessee.
Heupel and defensive coordinator Tim Banks replaced Jean-Mary by hiring William Inge, a former Washington Huskies assistant who was planning to join Kalen DeBoer's staff at Alabama before getting hired by the Vols.
Banks met with reporters on Tuesday after Tennessee's second spring practice and he made quite the statement about the addition of Inge to the Vols' coaching staff.
"William’s been great, he brings a wealth of experience coaching at every level," said Banks. "He's been good. The biggest thing for me is the relationship he has with our guys — because that’s what it is about, building relationships. And man, he hit the ground running. The guys love him. He’s a great teacher. Just a great personality. And we really hit the jackpot with him. So I’m excited he’s here."
Jean-Mary was a well-liked and well-respected assistant coach at Tennessee. He's a coach that Heupel certainly wanted to keep in Knoxville.
But fortunately for the Vols, it looks like Tennessee hit a home run by swiping Inge from Alabama.
Culture is everything at Tennessee. And Inge, at least based on what Banks had to say on Tuesday, seems to fit in perfectly with the culture that Heupel and his staff have built at UT over the last three years.
The development of the linebackers and how they play on Saturdays in the fall, along with how he recruits, is ultimately how Inge will be judged. But so far, it sounds like he's the perfect replacement for Jean-Mary.
Tennessee HC Josh Heupel sends message that every player on the Vols’ roster needs to hear
Appropriate for every player on the Vols’ roster
