What William Inge has learned about the Vols’ LB corps in spring practices

Hours before Tennessee begins its spring practices, new linebackers coach William Inge, less than a month on the job, hears a knock on his door at the Vols football facility.

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One by one the players from his position group try to get a head start on the day, asking Inge to go over every detail ahead of practice.

Inge, who was hired in late February to replace Brian Jean-Mary, has learned a lot about Tennessee’s linebacking corps in a short amount of time.

Their eagerness to learn is one them.

"That they're a very resilient group and they love football,” Inge said. “They love all of the small minute things that go into preparation. When you see those guys coming in and knocking on my door, coming into my office at 6 a.m. wanting to know what we're doing this particular day or this given day, that's exactly what you want. They understand that in order for you to be successful, you have to have a growth mindset, so we've seen that they've been able to live by that and have that.

“They know they want to be the best players on the team, and as I tell them, where much is given, much is required. So that's what we have to be able to adhere to as linebackers."

What impresses Inge the most is outside of Kennan Pili, who is entering his sixth season in college football and second at Tennessee, the room is mostly made up of youth.

Pili is the unquestioned leader, but a number of underclassmen have approached spring practices like veterans themselves, including Arion Carter.

Carter arrived in Knoxville a year ago, one of the top signees in the Vols' 2023 recruiting class that famously spurned Alabama to stay in-state. A season-ending injury to Pili just one game into his freshman season thrust him into a bigger and somewhat unexpected role during Tennessee's 2023 campaign.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football LB coach William Inge, defenders meet with media

Carter was making the most of it and coaches and teammates raved about his ability to make plays even when he was out of position.

But Carter suffered his own injury late in the season that sidelined him the rest of the way. He's still been limited in spring practice, going through non-contact drills but still not donning a helmet and shoulder pads as he works back to full health.

That hasn't stopped him from being one of the first players in Inge's office every morning.

"(Carter) is the one guy in the morning that is coming in, every morning, trying to get a head start on what's going on today," Inge said. "What are going to do, what's all in the install or 'Hey coach, I want to learn about both positions.' It is awesome having a chance to really talk with him and he is exactly what you want in your program."

One-on-one talks with players is a big part of Inge's coaching style. He sees himself as a teacher first, which is in part what attracted Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel to him during the hiring process.

Inge wants his players to follow a similar approach, one he learned during his time as defensive end at Iowa under then-head coach Hayden Fry in the mid 1990s.

"It's something that Hayden Fry really instilled in the team," Inge said. "Something that he always said was that 'Player-led teams will always be in position to play for championships,' because if a player can lead a player, now you have what's called peer accountability. You get indirect leadership from a player being able to do that. So, if a player can lead, when those players become the leaders of the team, when we can sit back and make sure that the coaches run the program and the players run the team, you know your culture is where it needs to be when it comes to you being able to compete for championships."

Joining a new team and trying to instill your own coaching philosophy into players that you just met only weeks before spring practices begin can be a challenge. That's why having Pili has been valuable for Inge.

Pili, who began his career at BYU before transferring to Tennessee last offseason, bought into Inge's philosophy immediately and his teammates followed suit.

"It's like how Coach Inge always says, 'Leadership is best coupled with action,'" Pili said. "So, I am just taking the opportunities. When it's time to lead, lead. When it's time to follow, follow. When it's time to pick up one of your teammates, pick them up and when it's time to push your teammates a little further, make sure you push your teammates...Leadership is best coupled with action."

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