Tennessee football linebackers coach William Inge medical update for Auburn game

Tennessee football linebackers coach William Inge will miss a third consecutive game due to serious health issues when the Vols play Auburn.

Numerous Auburn coaches and support staff members previously worked with Inge at Tennessee. Most notably, Auburn safeties coach Tim Banks was UT’s defensive coordinator alongside Inge in 2024-25. And Auburn assistant cornerbacks coach Earnest Thomas was also a UT assistant during that time.

Inge, 52, remains hospitalized with an undisclosed series of medical problems. He missed UT’s 42-9 win over Kennesaw State on Sept. 19 and its 20-17 loss to Texas on Sept. 26. This is his third season on coach Josh Heupel’s staff.

On Sept. 25, Inge said in a statement that he was "resting comfortably" and "fighting this illness."

On Oct. 3, Inge’s wife, Rae Ann, shared a simple gameday message on X: “GBO” (an acronym for Go Big Orange). And she included the hashtag #WeRollin, a favorite catchphrase that her husband uses to motivate his players.

GBO 🧡🧡🧡#KABO#WEROLLIN

— Rae Ann Pierce-Inge (@IngeDEFENSE) October 3, 2026

The 17th-ranked Vols (3-1, 0-1 SEC) play Auburn (3-1, 1-1) on Oct. 3 (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) at Neyland Stadium.

Inge, his family and the UT football team have continued to ask for prayers over his condition.

Inge and his wife have three children, son Isaiah and daughters Keara and Raya. Isaiah Inge played for Tennessee as a walk-on defensive lineman in 2024-25.

Raya Inge, a softball player at Alcoa High School, shared a photo of her father and a message on social media on Sept. 26: “Thank you to all who have reached out. My family and I appreciate all of your prayers. God's Got US.”

How Tennessee players are motivated to play for William Inge

After the Texas game, Heupel said Inge’s condition “turned serious in the middle part of (last) week,” but he had “small wins (in the) late part of the week” before the Vols played the Longhorns on Sept. 26.

“He’s a fighter. He’s tough. He believes in the power of prayer,” Heupel said. “We’re lifting him up in prayer. I know our fans are, too. He’s got a real fight on his hands still, but he’s had some positive news.”

Tennessee will continue to utilize analysts and other coaches to fill Inge's role. Veterean defensive coordinator Jim Knowles also served as a linebackers coach for much of his career.

The Vols have continued to keep the beloved linebackers coach on their minds.

While preparing for the Auburn game, edge rushers coach Andrew Jackson said UT players were motivated to play well against Texas for Inge. And they hope to repeat that strong performance again while upholding the teamwork principles that Inge prioritizes.

“Bigger than football, Coach Inge is one of our brothers. He's like a dad to me, so that was extra motivation going into the (Texas) game,” Jackson said on Sept. 29. “… They're all chasing greatness. They're working together. They communicate well. They love each other. They celebrate with each other. They come back to the sideline and give each other good information. It's more of a brotherhood than ever.”

Inge has had 28-year coaching career. He joined Heupel's staff at Tennessee after serving as co-defensive coordinator/linebackers coach for Washington when it reached the CFP national title game in 2023.

Inge coached at Iowa (1998-2000), Northern Iowa (2001-04), Colorado (2005), San Diego State (2006-07), Cincinnati (2008-09), University of Buffalo (2010-11), Buffalo Bills (2012), Indiana (2013-19), Fresno State (2020-21), Washington (2022-23) and Tennessee (2024-26).

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football linebackers coach William Inge medical update for Auburn game