Richard Williamson (American football) facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 13, 1941 Fort Deposit, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | September 21, 2015 (aged 74) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1959–1962 | Alabama |
| Position(s) | End |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1963–1967 | Alabama (WR) |
| 1968–1969 | Arkansas (assistant) |
| 1970–1971 | Alabama (DL) |
| 1972–1974 | Arkansas (OC) |
| 1975–1980 | Memphis State |
| 1983–1986 | Kansas City Chiefs (WR) |
| 1987–1990 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (AHC/WR) |
| 1990–1991 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| 1992–1994 | Cincinnati Bengals (WR) |
| 1995–2000 | Carolina Panthers (WR) |
| 2000–2001 | Carolina Panthers (AHC/OC/WR) |
| 2002–2009 | Carolina Panthers (WR) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 32–34 (college) 4–15 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| National (1961) | |
| Awards | |
| All-SEC (1962) | |
Richard Williamson (born April 13, 1941 – died September 21, 2015) was an American football player and coach. He led the football team at Memphis State University from 1975 to 1980. Later, Williamson was the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the National Football League (NFL) from 1990 to 1991.
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Playing and Coaching in College
Richard Williamson played football at the University of Alabama as an end, a position where players catch passes. He played for the famous coach Bear Bryant in 1961 and 1962. He even caught the very first touchdown pass thrown by future star quarterback Joe Namath at Alabama.
After his playing days, Williamson decided to become a coach. He chose to stay at Alabama as a coach instead of playing professionally. He helped the Alabama team win national championships in 1964 and 1965.
Williamson then coached at the University of Arkansas for two years. He returned to Alabama from 1970 to 1971. After that, he went back to Arkansas from 1972 to 1974.
Leading the Memphis State Tigers
In 1975, Williamson became the head coach at Memphis State University. His teams had good seasons, finishing with 7 wins and 4 losses in both 1975 and 1976. He was recognized for his coaching skills and won the Southern Independent Conference Coach of the Year award twice. He coached at Memphis State until 1980.
Coaching in the NFL
After his time at Memphis, Richard Williamson returned to coaching in 1983. He joined the Kansas City Chiefs as an assistant coach. He worked there until 1986.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach
In 1987, Williamson moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He worked as an assistant coach, helping with the offense. In late 1990, he became the interim head coach for the Buccaneers. This means he took over temporarily. He led the team for the last three games of that season.
Because the team showed some improvement, the Buccaneers made him their permanent head coach for the 1991 season. However, the team struggled that year, finishing with 3 wins and 13 losses. Williamson was fired at the end of the season.
Later NFL Coaching Roles
After leaving the Buccaneers, Williamson coached the wide receivers for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1992 to 1994.
In 1995, he joined the newly formed Carolina Panthers team as their wide receivers coach. He stayed with the Panthers for many years. In 2000, he was promoted to assistant head coach and also became the offensive coordinator. He helped develop star wide receivers like Muhsin Muhammad and Steve Smith. These players became very successful in the NFL.
Williamson retired from coaching on January 18, 2010. He had been with the Carolina Panthers for 15 seasons. He was the last coach from the original 1995 Panthers staff still with the team.
Personal Life
Richard Williamson was married to Norma, and they had two children, Rich and Caroline. He lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, when he passed away on September 21, 2015.
Coaching Records
Richard Williamson had an overall college coaching record of 32 wins and 34 losses. As an NFL head coach, his record was 4 wins and 15 losses.
