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.
Playing Career
Bobby Williams played football at Purdue University from 1978 to 1982. He was a key player for the Boilermakers football team. He earned a "letter" for playing in four seasons.
In his final year, he was chosen as a team captain. He started as a running back in his first year. For the next three years, he played in the secondary position. He earned his degree in general management in 1982.
Coaching Journey
After college, Williams started his coaching career. He spent one season as a graduate assistant at Purdue. This means he helped the coaches while also studying.
His first official coaching job was at Ball State University. He coached running backs and defensive backs for two seasons. Then, he spent five years at Eastern Michigan University. There, he coached the offensive backfield players.
Leading the Spartans
On December 6, 1999, Bobby Williams became the head football coach at Michigan State University. His first game as head coach was a big win. The Spartans beat Florida 37–34 in the 2000 Citrus Bowl.
In his first full season (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. They finished that season with 5 wins and 6 losses.
The team improved in the 2001 season. They had 6 wins and 5 losses in the regular season. This included a famous win against rival Michigan. This game is known as "Clockgate".
Later that season, Michigan State played in the 2001 Silicon Valley Football Classic. They defeated Fresno State 44–35. This win gave Williams his second bowl victory. He was the first coach in Spartans history to win his first two bowl games.
Near the end of his third season, the team had 3 wins and 6 losses. They were in last place in the Big Ten Conference. Because of this, Michigan State decided to make a change in coaching leadership.
After Michigan State
After leaving Michigan State, Williams coached in the National Football League (NFL). He became a wide receiver coach for the Detroit Lions. There, he worked again with Charles Rogers, a player he had coached at Michigan State.
After one season in the NFL, Williams returned to college football. He coached wide receivers at LSU. He also served as an assistant head coach under Nick Saban.
When Coach Saban moved to the Miami Dolphins, Williams followed him. He became a running back coach for the Dolphins. After two seasons, his role with the Dolphins ended.
On January 18, 2008, Williams joined Coach Saban again. This time, it was at the University of Alabama. He took on the role of tight end and special teams coordinator.
Family Life
Bobby Williams is married to Sheila Williams. They have two children together. Their daughter, Nataly, is a member of the Theta Sigma chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Their son, Nicholas, is also involved in football. He works as an offensive quality control coach for the New York Giants.
