UM announces Travis Williams as inside LB coach; Diaz comments

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Travis Williams, who spent the past five seasons as linebackers coach at Auburn, will join the Miami Hurricanes staff as inside linebackers coach, head coach Manny Diaz announced Monday. Williams’ hire is pending completion of a standard University background check.

“We are thrilled to welcome Travis and his family to Miami,” Diaz said. “He has had tremendous success both playing and coaching the linebacker position and I’m excited about the knowledge and passion he will bring to our linebackers group.”

Williams was promoted to linebackers coach at Auburn, his alma mater, prior to the 2016 season after holding various roles on the Tigers’ football support staff.

This past season Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain ranked first in the SEC with 113 tackles, while fellow linebacker Owen Pappoe posted 93 stops, ranking eighth in the conference. In 2019, Auburn’s defense ranked eighth nationally in both red zone and third-down defense, allowing only 19.5 points per game against a schedule that featured six opponents who won 11 games.

The 2018 Auburn defense ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense (19.2) and allowed only nine rushing touchdowns. The Tigers ranked in the top 20 nationally in sacks (38) and TFL (96) and were ninth nationally with three interception returns for touchdowns. Top tackler Deshaun Davis, a first team all-SEC honoree, was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals and Darrell Williams signed with the New Orleans Saints.

In 2017, SEC West champion Auburn ranked 14th in total defense and 12th in scoring defense, allowing just 4.67 yards per play, eighth best nationally. Senior linebacker Tre’ Williams earned second team all-SEC honors.

In 2016, the Tigers ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense, 11th in red zone defense and 28th in total defense, an improvement of 43 spots over the previous season, and held eight consecutive opponents without a rushing TD, the longest season streak at Auburn since 1957.

Williams signed with Auburn in 2001, redshirted his first season and then lettered the next four, earning All-SEC honors in 2004 and 2005. He led Auburn in tackles (80) during the 2004 undefeated season; he was second in tackles in 2005 (68) and third in 2003 (67). He won the Pat Dye Leadership Award on defense in 2004 and 2005.

Williams played for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, before beginning his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Spring Valley (S.C.) High School, as a volunteer assistant.

Williams returned to Auburn in 2009 as a defensive graduate assistant, and was part of Auburn’s 2010 national championship season. After coaching stops at Northern Iowa and Creekside (Ga.) High School, Williams came back to Auburn in 2014 as a defensive analyst. He served as an on-field coach on defense in preparations for Auburn’s 2015 Outback Bowl and 2015 Birmingham Bowl appearances.

Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Auburn in 2005, and received a master’s degree in adult education from Auburn in 2011.

A native of Columbia, S.C., Williams and his wife Jeanine, an Auburn graduate, have three daughters: Tru, Reign and Brave.