Nick Williams begins his third season as the wide receivers coach on John Grass’ coaching staff at Jacksonville State.
His first two seasons at JSU have seen unprecedented success for the Gamecocks. They are 23-4 and a perfect 16-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play with two OVC titles over the past two seasons.
The 2015 campaign took Gamecock football to new heights. A 13-2 record included a 12-game win streak that was one shy of the school record and also featured over 50 school records. The Gamecocks’ lone losses were to No. 6 Auburn in overtime and to North Dakota State in the FCS title game.
JSU was ranked No. 1 in the polls for the first time in school history and held that ranking for 11 weeks. The Gamecocks went unbeaten again in the OVC to win their second-straight title and was warded the No. 1 national seed in the FCS Playoffs. JSU stood up to that seeding, downing No. 7 Chattanooga in overtime in the second round before routing No. 8 Charleston Southern and No. 7 Sam Houston State in the quarters and semis, respectively.
Under Williams’ guidance, junior Josh Barge was a First Team All-OVC wide receiver after hauling in 92 catches for 1,145 yards and 11 touchdowns, all school records. The 92 catches were 30 more than the previous school record for receptions in a season. The 3,102 receiving yards by the Gamecocks in 2015 were the most in a season in school history, while the 21 touchdown catches rank sixth all-time.
In his first season with the Gamecocks he led a receiving corps that helped the most prolific offense in school history, one that averaged a school-record 510.8 yards per game en route to posting a 10-2 record and a perfect 8-0 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play to win the school’s fourth OVC crown. Sophomore Josh Barge caught 56 passes for 919 yards and four touchdowns, was an All-OVC pick and led a group of 15 players that caught at least one pass during the season and seven players that caught at least one touchdown.
Williams joined the Gamecocks after spending the 2013 season as an offensive graduate assist at Valdosta State, where he worked with wide receivers and helped organize the scout team defense. The Blazers finished the season with a 6-4 record and was 3-3 in the conference.
He spent four years as a wide receiver at the University of Alabama, where the Crimson Tide posted a 49-5 record during his tenure and a pair of SEC Championships (2009, 2012).
Alabama won three National Championships during that time, claiming the titles in 2009, 2011 and 2012. UA also won the Capital One Bowl in 2010.
After graduating from Alabama with a degree in Business Management in 2012, he began his coaching career as an intern offensive analyst for the Crimson Tide. He was responsible for wide receiver scrimmage production and organized and ran the scout team offense.
Williams is a native of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and prepped at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. His father, Bobby Williams, is currently on the University of Alabama coaching staff, where he is a special assistant to Nick Saban after serving as the Crimson Tide’s tight ends coach and special teams coordinator. He was the head coach at Michigan State from 2000-02.
