PEMBROKE – UNC Pembroke football head coach Shane Richardson announced Saturday morning that assistant coach O.C. Williams, who has served the last seven seasons as the defensive backs coach and special teams coordinator for the Braves, has been promoted to the defensive coordinator position.
While in Pembroke, Williams has been integral in developing one of the nation's most elite total defenses, while also helping UNCP register some of the nation's best recruiting classes as the program's recruiting coordinator. Williams fills a void left on the coaching staff when Richardson accepted the head coach position last month.
"O.C. has been very loyal to this staff and has put in a great amount of work over the last seven years at UNCP," Richardson said. "He brings a great defensive knowledge to the table, and also has a great feel for what we stand for as a program and fits very well into our model of success. He continues to learn and grow as a valuable member of this staff, and now has a great opportunity to step into the role of defensive coordinator. I'm really looking forward to having him as a part of our staff as we take this program to the next level."
Williams, a 14-year coaching veteran, has been at the helm of one of the nation's most outstanding pass defenses over the last seven years. The Black & Gold ranked 26th nationally in pass efficiency defense en route to its first playoff appearance in 2009 and, this past season, boasted one of the region's top pass defense teams to key a run to the second round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
The Black & Gold also showed one of its best special teams packages this past season – one that ranked among the nation's top 20 teams in kickoff (24.18 yards/return) and punt (14.35) returns. UNCP also ranked 45th among the nation's 169 NCAA Division II squads in net punting average (35.06 yards/punt) as well.
A native of Lexington, Miss., and a four-sport athlete at McClain High School, Williams began his collegiate playing career at Holmes C.C. in Goodman, Miss., before matriculating to Alcorn State for the 1999 and 2000 campaigns. After graduating with his bachelor's degree in general studies from ASU in 2001, he continued his academics and later earned his master's in secondary education from the institution in 2005.
Williams coached at Alcorn State (graduate assistant) in 2001, East Mississippi Community College (2004) and McPherson College (2005-06) in Kansas before trekking to Pembroke in 2007. He and his wife, Tasha, currently reside in Lumberton.
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