Terrell Williams

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1974)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Terrell Williams

| image = Terrell Williams.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Williams in 2021

| current_team = New England Patriots

| position = Defensive coordinator

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|6|19|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| high_school =

| college = East Carolina

| pastcoaching =

Fort Scott (1998)
Defensive line coach
North Carolina A&T (1999–2001)
Defensive line coach
Youngstown State (2002–2003)
Defensive line coach
Akron (2004–2005)
Defensive line coach
Purdue (2006–2009)
Defensive line coach
Texas A&M (2010–2011)
Defensive line coach
Oakland Raiders ({{nfly|2012}}–{{nfly|2014}})
Defensive line coach
Miami Dolphins ({{nfly|2015}}–{{nfly|2017}})
Defensive line coach
Tennessee Titans ({{nfly|2018}}–{{nfly|2022}})
Defensive line coach
Tennessee Titans ({{nfly|2023}})
Assistant head coach/defensive line coach
Detroit Lions ({{nfly|2024}})
Defensive line coach/run game coordinator
New England Patriots ({{nfly|2025}}–present)
Defensive coordinator

| highlights =

| coachregrecord =

| coachplayoffrecord =

| coachrecord =

| pfrcoach = WillTe0

}}

Terrell Williams (born June 19, 1974) is an American professional football coach and former player who is the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).

College career

Williams is originally from Los Angeles. He played nose guard at East Carolina and helped the Pirates to a Liberty Bowl victory over Stanford in 1995. He received a bachelor's degree in communications with a minor in history. From 1998 until 2011, Williams coached at the collegiate level at six different institutions - all as a defensive line coach. He started his career at Fort Scott (Kansas) Community College, followed by two years at North Carolina A&T, two years at Youngstown State, two years at Akron, four years at Purdue, and two years at Texas A&M.{{cite web |title=Terrell Williams Biography|access-date=January 25, 2020 |website= titansonline.com|url= https://www.titansonline.com/team/coaches-roster/terrell-williams}}

Professional career

During his college coaching tenure, Williams had three summer internships in the NFL. In the summer of 1999, he assisted the Jacksonville Jaguars with the defensive line. Williams had similar roles with the Seattle Seahawks in 2007 and with the Dallas Cowboys in 2008.

=Oakland Raiders=

In 2012, Williams accepted his first full time position at the professional level when he joined head coach Dennis Allen as defensive line coach with the Oakland Raiders. In 2014, Williams' unit helped the defense rank eighth in the NFL in fewest rushing yards allowed per play and finished second in the NFL in tackles recorded at or behind the line of scrimmage.[http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Six-Assistants-Added-to-Raiders-Coaching-Staff/8a440970-5e6d-4543-94d0-63153dc2f071 Six Assistants Added to Raiders Coaching Staff], Raiders.com

=Miami Dolphins=

In 2015, Williams joined the Miami Dolphins as defensive line coach under head coach Joe Philbin. He was to serve in the same role with the Florida Gators but left on the National Signing Day.{{cite web | url=https://collegefootball.nbcsports.com/2015/02/05/report-gators-lose-dl-coach-to-nfl-longhorns-coach-to-replace-him/ | title=Report: Gators lose DL coach to NFL; Longhorns coach to replace him | first=John | last=Taylor | date=February 5, 2015 | work=NBC Sports | access-date=November 17, 2022}} Williams continued his role with the Dolphins in 2016 and 2017 under head coach Adam Gase. In 2016, Williams helped the Dolphins to their most successful season in eight years, winning 10 games and earning their first playoff berth since 2008. Defensive linemen Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh flourished under Williams's three-year stint with the Dolphins. Wake tallied 29 sacks, which was the eighth-highest total by a player in that period, while Ndamukong Suh totaled the eighth-highest number of sacks (15.5) among defensive tackles. Wake's nine forced fumbles tied for fifth in the NFL over the same span.

=Tennessee Titans=

In 2018, Williams joined head coach Mike Vrabel with the Tennessee Titans. In his first year, the Titans defense ranked eighth overall (333.4 yards per game), third in points allowed (18.9 per game), 10th on third down (36.6 percent) and second in the red zone (44.7 touchdown percentage). In 2019, Williams helped the Titans to the AFC championship game.

=Detroit Lions=

On February 21, 2024, Williams was hired by the Detroit Lions as their defensive running game coordinator and defensive line coach under head coach Dan Campbell.{{Cite web|title=Lions add Jim O'Neil, Deshea Townsend and Terrell Williams to coaching staff |url=https://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-add-jim-o-neil-deshea-townsend-and-terrell-williams-to-coaching-staff|publisher=Detroit Lions|date=February 21, 2024|access-date=February 21, 2024}}

=New England Patriots=

On January 22, 2025, Williams was hired by the New England Patriots to rejoin Vrabel as their defensive coordinator.{{Cite web |title=Patriots Announce Coordinator Positions on Mike Vrabel's Coaching Staff |url=https://www.patriots.com/news/patriots-announce-coordinator-positions-on-mike-vrabel-s-coaching-staff |access-date=January 22, 2025 |date=January 22, 2025 |website=www.patriots.com}}

Family life

Williams and his wife, Tifini, have two sons: Tahj and Tyson. Tyson died at the age of 4 in 2012 from a sudden and unexpected illness.{{cite web |title=NFL: Oakland Raiders assistant coach Terrell Williams' son dies|access-date=January 25, 2020 |website= mercurynews.com|date=November 10, 2012 |url= https://www.mercurynews.com/2012/11/10/nfl-oakland-raiders-assistant-coach-terrell-williams-son-dies/}}