Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel delivered a hopeful and emotional update on linebackers coach William Inge on Saturday, describing the veteran assistant’s progress after a life-threatening medical battle as a “true miracle.”
Speaking after the No. 15 Vols’ 24-17 road win at Arkansas, Heupel said Inge is doing well and is expected to leave the hospital mid-next week to begin rehabilitation.
An update on coach Inge! ⤵️⤵️⤵️🙏🙏🙏 https://t.co/RbbYMmuYan
— Austin Price (@AustinPriceless) October 10, 2026
“Sometimes, it is rare in this world that you get to see a true miracle right before your eyes but that is truly what we have been able to see following coach Inge and what his family has been able to see as well,” Heupel said. “He is doing really well. He should be able to get out of the hospital here the middle of next week, hopefully, and begin his rehab process. If you ever question the power of prayer, anybody that has seen this can attest to the power of prayer. … Very thankful that he is coming out the other side of it.”
Heupel added that Inge “faced a ton of adversity and was really fighting for his life and it kind of came out of nowhere.” He thanked the many people who have been praying, including the football family, the university, and the fans.
Inge, 52, has been hospitalized at UT Medical Center since mid-September dealing with a personal medical issue. He has missed the Vols’ last four games. Tennessee initially announced his hospitalization on Sept. 24, requesting prayers and privacy for the family. Inge himself released a brief statement the following day, saying he was “resting comfortably” and “fighting this illness just like our team fights on Saturdays on the field.”
The update marks a significant positive turn after earlier reports described a serious situation. Heupel previously noted “small wins” and “positive news” while emphasizing that Inge still had “a real fight on his hands.”
Inge is in his third season on Heupel’s staff. He was hired in February 2024 after two seasons as Washington’s associate head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and linebackers coach under Kalen DeBoer. That Huskies staff won the Pac-12 title, defeated Texas in the Sugar Bowl CFP semifinal, and reached the national championship game. Inge had been expected to follow DeBoer to Alabama but instead chose Tennessee.
He was one of the few defensive assistants retained after Heupel hired Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator this offseason. After Tim Banks was fired late in 2025, Inge also served as Tennessee’s interim defensive coordinator for the Music City Bowl.
A Kirkwood, Missouri, native, Inge was a three-year starter on the defensive line at Iowa from 1993-96. He has spent nearly three decades in coaching, including coordinator or co-coordinator stops at Washington, Fresno State, Indiana, Buffalo, and Northern Iowa, plus a season as an assistant defensive line coach with the Buffalo Bills.
The coaching community continues to rally around one of the truly good men in the profession as he takes these next steps in recovery.