UB Athletics was kind enough to make the coaching staff available for an interview with Bull Run. I set each coach five to ten questions and took questions from readers.Coach William Inge's UB Athletics Profile describes him as follows:
William Inge, who serves as UB’s defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, spent the last two seasons working with the linebackers coach at Cincinnati. In each of his two seasons with the Bearcats, the top two tacklers on the team were linebackers. Prior to arriving at Cincinnati, Inge spent two seasons as the linebackers coach at San Diego State. While with the Aztecs, he mentored leading tackler Russell Allen to All-Mountain West Conference honors. In 2005, Inge was the defensive line coach at Colorado where he helped lead the Buffaloes to the Big 12 North Division title and advance to the Big 12 championship game. In 2001, Inge was hired as a defensive assistant at Northern Iowa. Over his four seasons with the Panthers, he was elevated to co-defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. Inge was a four-year letter winner at Iowa where he earned a bachelor's and master's degree.
Inge lists winning the outright Big East Championship as the proudest moment in his professional career. He lists his hobbies as drag racing, hunting, camping, fishing and reading. He believes the University at Buffalo is a great atmosphere for higher learning, athletic development and competition and social development. The motto that reflects his life is "Don’t quit and never settle for anything but the best."
Bull Run: Coach Quinn talked about an "Attacking Aggressive Style, relentless pursuit and when they arrive they will arrive in a bad mood". Can you give us any insight into what that looks like and how that going to differ (in terms of unit focus) from the defenses UB has had over the past couple of years?
Coach Inge: When trying to draw a picture of an "Attacking Aggressive Style with relentless pursuit...", this talks about the approach that must be taken by every defensive player. This is something that he controls and it takes no talent to accomplish this task. When you think of Defense, you think of the enforcer. Our vision is for our unit to carry out that philosophy which has been set forth by our head coach and the defensive staff. I can't speak on how this may differ from the defensive focus or philosophy from last season but, I would assume most defensive coaches typically apply the same orientations with their philosophy. You want a physical front 7 that will stop the run & an active back 7 that defends the pass.
Bull Run: Given your extensive experience as a linebacker coach how does UB's corps match up with those you saw at fellow non QA School San Diego? How does it compare to what you had at Cincinnati?
Coach Inge: After looking at the LB core thus far, I would say they match up well with the LB units that I have experience in the past. Physically they look just as good as the men I coached at San Diego State. Looking at some of the initial numbers, the unit here at Buffalo has just as much speed and strength. The critical item that we must address is their overall conditioning. That will be enhanced and evaluated over the next 5-6 months. When comparing this LB core to our men at Cincinnati, on the surface there are some players who match up well and may be better players than the group at Cincinnati. The one thing about the LB core at Cincinnati is that they constantly proved that talent would only take you so far. That was a group who took a lot of pride in not making costly mistakes which give the offense an edge. This is one of our core goals with the LB core at Buffalo. I won't have the answer until all the work is done and we can sit back in the off-season and reflect on the past season.
Bull Run: Right now what position group has the furthest to go in order to fit into the defense that you envision?
Coach Inge: I can't speak just yet on which position has the furthest to go as we transition. I will have more insight after we are in agility drills and Spring practice. Understand that off-campus recruiting is just finishing up so most of us have been away from our current players.
Bull Run: How is your experience as a defensive coordinator at an FBS school different from your time as a DC for Northern Iowa in 2004?
Coach Inge: When looking at experiences at the FBS vs. I-AA, it all comes down to the people on your staff and the discipline of your players to apply your teachings on a day to day basis. During my time at Northern Iowa, I had the opportunity to compete in one of the toughest conferences in the country (Missouri Valley) formerly known as the Gateway. I feel very good about the experiences, knowledge and personalities that Coach Quinn has put together on the defensive staff. We are thrilled to be in Buffalo and look forward to developing young men.
Bull Run: How have you been getting along with your new staff?
Coach Inge: I am excited to be working with the full staff that Coach Quinn has assembled. Most of us have worked together before and understand what it takes to graduate our players and compete for a Championship.
Bull Run: What tenable benefits do you draw from having someone with as much experience at big name schools as Oliver on the staff?
Coach Inge: Having the opportunity to hire Coach Oliver was excellent. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the staff. He has a reputation for developing defensive linemen and that was a must as we assembled our staff.
Questions from Bull Run Readers:
BRJACR: What are their impressions of Buffalo and the WNY area so far?
Coach Inge: Buffalo is an enjoyable town. The city is well prepared for whatever weather may come. I really like that fact that you have a chance to get the infamous chicken wings at many different places in town. Western New York has many attractive places, especially one of the 7 Wonders of the World in the Niagara Falls.
Brigadier: Coach Inge:3-4 or 4-3? Do we have the personnel to play a 3-4?
Coach Inge: Defensively, we will be a multiple schematic unit. At this point in time, we feel as though we have the personnel to do so. I think we will have a better feel once we endure Spring practices.