After his first press conference as the linebackers coach at Tennessee, William Inge gave out a 'Go Vols' before walking away from the podium. Just days before accepting the job in Knoxville, this reality was almost impossible to predict, though.

After helping lead Washington to an appearance in the National Championship game, Inge was preparing to reload for another run at the title in 2024. However, with Nick Saban retiring, Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer took the opening in Tuscaloosa.

This left Inge in a position where he likely would be uprooting his family to either join DeBoer with the Tide or at a new job altogether.

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Ultimately, that new position came with the Vols. While he was weighing his options, the possibility of joining Tennessee's staff to replace the departing Brian Jean-Mary came late in the process.

"It has been like life in hyper speed," said Inge. "To where you have a chance to compete for a National Championship and then you’re getting ready to, in a sense, rebuild and get everything squared away there. And then there’s change and then there’s more change. And then literally in the last hour, then there’s Tennessee, literally. Then all of a sudden a week ago, I’m here. So it has been a whirlwind, but that’s kind of the nature of the beast that we’re in right now. And we’re excited and we always take advantage of every moment that we have."

Now, Inge is on the opposite end of a historic rivalry than many expected. The option to follow his former head coach to Alabama was there, but a few reasons swayed him to put on orange instead of crimson.

"Well, as you can assume, it was very tough because you have a very good comfort level with a staff, with people, with how you do things," said Inge. "But then when you have another branded program that’s exactly the same, that probably may be just as established as a program that you’re dealing with that comes into play, that’s something you want to look at and something you want to seek. And having a chance to be able to do something different, be around some of the young men here and help literally get to the hearts and minds of these players and help them compete for an SEC, the National Championship. That’s something that became very important to me."

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Everything new Tennessee LB coach William Inge said in first presser

Tennessee suited Inge for a number of other reasons, as well. Coaching under Josh Heupel was a major factor in the decision. Inge has admired what Heupel has done from afar and wanted to join the turnaround.

Inge also noted the opportunity of playing for a historic and powerful tradition in the Vols. He referenced the Power-T multiple times while acknowledging what it represents in Knoxville.

As a linebackers coach, being able to help in his role and make an impact as the team hunts for its first SEC Championship 1998 was 'important' in his decision. Also the ability to grow in this position and maintaining a form of stability.

"Number one, you want to be able to look at the stability of the program and see who has gone and come from the program," said Inge on making the decision. "You want to look at the history and tradition of the program. You also want to look at how will that program be able to help you grow professionally. And probably for me that was one of the more important things, being able to look at how you can consistently continue to grow. Can you be able to grow and what can evolve from this particular scenario or this situation? And then when you look at the place or where it is at, is it the place where you can be able to live and function just as a family? So, us having a chance to be able to get on the other side of the mountains and having a chance to come to Knoxville and just as a family, we’re extremely excited."

Inge now inherits a mostly young linebacking corp. However, one veteran sits atop the depth chart in his return. Keenan Pili played only a single game in 2023 before earning a medical redshirt to grant a final year of eligibility.

Now, he is projected to be the starting middle linebacker where his role as a leader carries into off the field duties in helping Inge adjust.

"Keenan, we call him Uncle Grandpa because he is the old veteran," said Inge. "It is so funny, we were talking in some meetings today just about what you did over the weekend. Well, some guys, hey, I went and took so and so out to eat or I went over here. He's doing some home improvements with his wife. And I said, just whatever you do just always say yes and you will never have a problem, guaranteed.

"But I’ve had a chance to really get to know him kind of even a year ago when he was coming out of BYU because we recruited him at Washington. But to see him, he brings another level of maturity, but for me that really puts me in a scenario where I could really command leadership from him and really trying to instill things in him that’s going to allow him to really grab the bull by the horns when it comes to him being the one vocal and action leader on our football team. That’s going to allow us to be able to take the next step."

The Vols' spring practice period is set to begin in two weeks where Inge and other members of the staff will get some of their first true looks at what the 2024 team has to offer.

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