Carnell Williams, a former all-American, first-round pick and seven-year NFL vet, joins the Las Vegas Raiders as a running backs coach in 2024, his first season coaching in the NFL. Williams brings seven years of playing experience in the NFL and nine years of coaching experience in high school, college and the AAF.
Williams comes to the Raiders after spending the last five seasons at Auburn University, his alma mater, where he served as the running backs coach from 2019-22 before being promoted to interim head coach during the 2022 season and then associate head coach/running backs in 2023. Last season (2023), Auburn averaged 189.0 rushing yards per game, which ranked 23rd in the nation and fourth in the SEC.
In 2022, Williams began the season as the running backs coach and after a late October dismissal of Head Coach Bryan Harsin, Williams was selected to lead the Tigers as interim head coach for the final four games of the season. At the helm, Williams led Auburn to a 2-2 record, including wins over Texas A&M and Western Kentucky. Williams also led a running back unit that averaged 205.8 rushing yards per game, ranking 18th nationally and third in the SEC, while the Tigers' lead back, RB Tank Bigsby, was drafted in the third round (88th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft after his junior season.
Under Williams' guidance in 2020, freshman RB Tank Bigsby was named the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year and Associated Press SEC Newcomer of the Year after leading all freshmen in the conference with 834 rushing yards. Bigsby was the first Auburn freshman in school history to rush for three consecutive 100-yard games and his 834 yards were the second most all-time at Auburn by a rookie.
Wiliams returned to Auburn to coach running backs in 2019 under Gus Malzahn and during his first season, the Tigers posted five 100-yard rushing games.
Williams' coaching career started at Henderson State in 2015 where he served as the running backs coach. After a stint at the University of West Georgia in 2016, Williams was the running backs coach for IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for two seasons (2017-18). Williams also served as the running backs coach for the Birmingham Iron of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
PERSONAL: A native of Gadsden, Ala. …Williams played four seasons at Auburn (2001-04) and is still the program's career leader in rushing touchdowns (45) and second all-time in career rushing yards (3,831) – behind only Auburn Heisman Trophy winner and former Raider, Bo Jackson…Williams helped Auburn to a 13-0 season and an SEC Championship as a senior in 2004, finishing with 1,165 rushing yards, 12 touchdowns and 1,718 all-purpose yards, earning all-America honors and the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year award…After college, Williams was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft and was named AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading all rookies with 1,178 rushing yards…Over his seven-year NFL career with Tampa Bay (2005-10) and St. Louis (2011), Williams played in 81 games (58 starts) and racked up 4,038 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 1,055 carries (3.8 avg.) along with 148 receptions for 1,002 yards and four touchdowns…Williams returned to Auburn to finish his degree in sociology and graduated in December 2014. He and his wife, Evan Williams, have two boys: Cole and Cuinn.
