Jimmy Williams Named Defensive Line Coach

Bowling Green, Ohio - Bowling Green State University football coach Mike Jinks has announced the hiring of former Western Michigan defensive line coach Jimmy Williams. Williams joins the Falcon football staff after serving for one season at WMU. Previously, he held collegiate coaching positions at Eastern Michigan, Alabama Birmingham, Buffalo, Nebraska, Toledo and Grand Valley State.

Since becoming a coach, Williams has coached on five Mid-American Conference teams, advancing to the MAC Championship game three times (and winning twice), as well as another that advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship game.

"I am extremely excited to join the BGSU coaching staff, the University and the Bowling Green community," Williams said. "I'm thankful to Coach Mike Jinks and Defensive Coordinator Carl Pelini for the opportunity to join the staff and make an impact on the defensive side of the ball. I'm also looking forward to working with the young men in this program as well as serving in my role in establishing the identity of the defense that Coach Pelini has envisioned."

At Western Michigan, Williams was the defensive line coach for a 2016 team that went undefeated during the regular season, won the MAC Championship, and represented the conference against Wisconsin in the Cotton Bowl.

Williams has helped improve each program he has been a part of. In his first season at Eastern Michigan in 2014, the defensive line showed improvement on the field. The Eagles recorded more tackles for loss (63) than it did the year before.

At UAB, he was the assistant head coach and received a promotion midway through the season to serve as defensive coordinator in 2013. He was the Defensive Coordinator at Buffalo and his squad had four defensive players named All-MAC during his 2007 tenure. In 2008, the team went on to win its first and only MAC championship largely attributed to the defensive play during that game. The 2002 Toledo squad that he was the defensive line coach for went 9-5 and played in the MAC Championship game.

Williams also was a coach at Grand Valley State University. In 2001, he served as the defensive line coach and had three of his linemen earn all-conference honors. The team had a 13-1 record, with the only loss coming in the NCAA Division II National Championship to North Dakota, 17-14.

Williams played collegiate football at the University of Nebraska. After joining the team as a walk-on, he was the No. 15 pick of the 1982 NFL Draft. Williams, a member of the Nebraska Hall of Fame, registered 198 career tackles (97 solo) over the course of three years. His senior season, Williams earned first team All-America, All-Big Eight honors and was named the Big Eight Defensive Player of the Year.

Williams spent 12 seasons playing professionally for the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. During his career with the Lions, Williams recorded 653 tackles (sixth all-time), 25.5 sacks and 11 interceptions.

A native of Washington, D.C., Williams attended Woodrow Wilson High School. Williams earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from William Tyndale College in Michigan in 1999.

With the hire, current defensive line coach Marcus White has been named BGSU's running backs coach.

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Jimmy Williams Named Defensive Line Coach

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