Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel filled out his coaching staff earlier this week by hiring Cincinnati’s De’Rail Sims as the Vols’ new running backs coach and Washington’s William Inge as the Vols’ new insider linebackers coach.
Both Sims and Inge bring an abundance of experience to Tennessee. Inge has coached at a number of schools including Indiana and most recently Washington. The veteran linebackers coach was planning on following Washington head coach Kaleb DeBoer to Alabama before instead deciding to join Josh Heupel’s staff.
Sims is a South Carolina native who has spent the last three seasons coaching at power five schools— Louisville and Cincinnati. In those three seasons, Sims’ units have ranked in the top 25 of rushing yards per game.
Tennessee officially announced the hirings on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Here’s what Vols’ coach Josh Heupel said about the two hirings.
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De’Rail Sims
What Josh Heupel said
“We are excited to welcome De’Rail, his wife Lauren and his daughters Amayah and Alivia into the Tennessee football family. De’Rail is an exceptionally bright coach with a track record of developing outstanding running back rooms and building relationships with his players. Our run game has been vital to who we are as a program, and I expect him to make a seamless transition in helping us continue that success. De’Rail also has the experience and knowledge of our recruiting footprint surrounding Tennessee. We look forward to him making an impact in our recruiting efforts.”
What De’Rail Sims said
“My family and I fired up to represent the University of Tennessee, and we appreciate Coach Heupel for this tremendous opportunity. Having watched this program over the years from afar, it is one rich with history and tradition. I am excited to get to know our current players and hit the ground running in recruiting.”
William Inge
What Josh Heupel said
“William is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable linebacker coaches in the country. He has a proven resume of success and understands what it takes to compete for championships on the defensive side of the ball. William is also a great family man, and I know our players and coaches will enjoy working with him. We are excited to welcome his family to Rocky Top.”
What William Inge said
“Tennessee has a championship pedigree. I am extremely excited to be part of the Volunteer family and look forward to earning a championship.”
