Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel efficiently addressed both staffing gaps within a single afternoon. Following the departure of running backs coach Jerry Mack to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Heupel swiftly appointed De’Rail Sims, who previously held the same position at Cincinnati, to assume the role.
In addition, Heupel secured the services of William Hinge, who served as the co-defensive coordinator at Washington, to become Tennessee’s linebackers coach. This development was initially reported by VolQuest’s Austin Price.
Hinge brings valuable experience, having spent the past two seasons as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Washington Huskies. During this period, Washington claimed the Pac-12 Championship and contended for the national title. Prior to his tenure at Washington, Hinge fulfilled similar roles at Fresno State in 2022. Preceding his time at Fresno State, he contributed to the defensive efforts at the University of Indiana for seven years in various capacities.
Under Hinge’s leadership, Washington’s defense ranked No. 25 in the country in 2022, marking a significant improvement from the previous year. His transition to coaching SEC-level athletes presents a fresh challenge that he is poised to embrace.
With the appointments of Sims and Hinge, Tennessee has successfully filled both coaching vacancies and now boasts a complete coaching staff ready for the upcoming challenges of the season.
