Bobby Williams facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 21, 1958 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1978–1981 | Purdue |
| Position(s) | Running back, defensive back |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1982 | Purdue (GA) |
| 1983–1984 | Ball State (RB/S) |
| 1985–1989 | Eastern Michigan (backfield) |
| 1990–1999 | Michigan State (RB) |
| 2000–2002 | Michigan State |
| 2003 | Detroit Lions (WR) |
| 2004 | LSU (WR) |
| 2005–2006 | Miami Dolphins (RB) |
| 2007 | St. Thomas Aquinas HS (FL) (assistant) |
| 2008–2015 | Alabama (TE/ST) |
| 2016–2017 | Alabama (special assistant) |
| 2018 | Oregon (ST) |
| 2019–2021 | Oregon (ST/TE) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 16–17 |
| Bowls | 2–0 |
Robert Vann Williams (born November 21, 1958) is a well-known American football coach. He was the head football coach at Michigan State University from 1999 to 2002. During his time there, his team had a record of 16 wins and 17 losses.
Contents
Playing Football in College
Bobby Williams played college football at Purdue University from 1978 to 1982. He was a "letterman" for four years, which means he played well enough to earn a special award. In his final year, he was chosen as a team captain.
He started his college career as a running back. Later, he switched to playing in the secondary for three years. In 1982, he graduated from Purdue with a degree in general management.
Bobby Williams' Coaching Journey
After finishing his playing career, Bobby Williams started coaching. He first worked as a graduate assistant at Purdue for one season.
Early Coaching Roles
His first official coaching job was at Ball State University. He coached running backs and defensive backs there for two years. After that, he spent five seasons at Eastern Michigan University. At Eastern Michigan, he coached the offensive backfield players.
Leading the Michigan State Spartans
On December 6, 1999, Bobby Williams became the head football coach at Michigan State University. His very first game as head coach was a big one: the 2000 Citrus Bowl. The Spartans won that game 37–34 against Florida.
In his first full season as head coach in 2000, the Spartans started strong. They won their first three games against Marshall, Missouri, and Notre Dame. However, they then lost four games in a row and finished the season with 5 wins and 6 losses.
The team improved in the 2001 season, even though their performance was sometimes up and down. They finished the regular season with 6 wins and 5 losses. This included a memorable win against their rival, Michigan, in a game often called "Clockgate."
Later in 2001, Michigan State played in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic. They defeated Fresno State 44–35, which gave Williams his second bowl game victory. This made him the first coach in Michigan State history to win his first two bowl games.
In his third season, 2002, the team struggled. Michigan State had a record of 3 wins and 6 losses and was in last place in the Big Ten Conference. Because of this, the university decided to make a change, and Williams was no longer the head coach.
Coaching in the NFL and Other Colleges
After leaving Michigan State, Bobby Williams moved to the National Football League (NFL). He became a wide receiver coach for the Detroit Lions. While with the Lions, he coached Charles Rogers, a player he had helped recruit to Michigan State.
After one season in the NFL, Williams returned to college football. He became a wide receiver coach and assistant head coach at LSU, working under coach Nick Saban. When Coach Saban left LSU to coach the Miami Dolphins, Williams followed him a few months later. He became a running back coach for the Dolphins. However, after two seasons, Williams left that position.
On January 18, 2008, Williams joined Coach Saban again, this time at the University of Alabama. He took on the role of tight end and special teams coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He continued coaching at Alabama in various roles until 2017. Later, he coached special teams and tight ends for the Oregon Ducks until 2021.
Personal Life
Bobby Williams is married to Sheila Williams. They have two children. Their daughter, Nataly, is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Their son, Nicholas, is also involved in football and works as an offensive quality control coach for the New York Giants.
