He again participated in the Bill Walsh diversity fellowship in 2015, this time with the Detroit Lions. Then he got a full-time NFL gig, landing an assistant special teams coaching position with the then-San Diego Chargers in 2016. Williams left San Diego to re-join the Lions for the second time in 2019 as assistant special teams coach, and two seasons later packed his bags and moved his family to Atlanta to sign with the Falcons in January 2021.
Atlanta provided Williams with his first opportunity as a special teams coordinator.
“When I got the job here, even during the interview process, Arthur [Smith] saw me for who I am,” Williams said. “He’s one of the few people, outside of my family members, that sees me for who I am, and I tell him that all the time. I appreciate him for that because he’s authentic and he’s so real and he cares about others.”
Under Williams’ guidance and coaching, Falcons punt return specialist Avery Williams averaged a league leading 16.2 yards per punt return in 2022, and kicker Younghoe Koo connected on 27-of-29 field goal attempts and led the NFL with three game-winning field goals in 2021. His unit also had a blocked field goal and two blocked punts, including one for a touchdown. And Cordarrelle Patterson set the NFL record for kickoff return touchdowns to highlight an excellent season on special teams for Williams and his crew.
“The more you get to know somebody, the better you could help them, and you could understand their why, what motivates them, what gets them going.” Williams said. “If I keep players best interest in mind at the forefront, no matter what, they’re going to be successful.”
Williams served as the special teams coordinator for the Shrine Bowl in 2017 and 2018, and now five years later, he’s leading the next generation of football players as head coach.
“They understand the perspective of the opportunity that they have in this position to better themselves and their future, and potentially their families,” Williams said. “They have an opportunity to leave a legacy and make their families proud.”
Williams understands the magnitude this opportunity and how pivotal it is to his growth as a coach. When asked about head coaching aspirations in the future, he candidly answered.
“I love all the little things. Whether I’m talking to the equipment intern, somebody in the cafeteria, public relations department, community relations, operations, or scouting intern,” Williams said. “All that stuff is important. I feel like…
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