The Las Vegas Raiders are set to hire former Auburn running back and assistant coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, as first reported by Mike Gittens of The War Rapport on Saturday morning.
Williams is anticipated to take on the role of running backs coach for the Raiders. This comes after the Raiders first pursued DeShaun Foster, the head coach of the UCLA running backs, but Foster was promoted to head coach when Chip Kelly departed UCLA to take a position as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator.
Williams, who was Auburn’s running backs coach from 2019 to 23, will take on a similar position with the Raiders.
Former head coach Gus Malzahn first hired Williams to coach Auburn’s running backs, a position that he has held since then under heads coaches Hugh Freeze and Bryan Harsin.
Williams was named associate head coach shortly after Freeze arrived at Auburn in November 2022. He held this position for the whole 2023 season before announcing his resignation on January 11th.
Williams announced in a statement that evening, “I have decided to resign from my position with Auburn football in order to pursue other opportunities after taking some time to pray and reflect.”
“Auburn, the players, and the AU family have my undying affection, but my wife, my sons, and I need to make this decision. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Coaches Malzahn and Freeze for granting me the opportunity to coach. The last five years have been absolutely amazing here on the Plains.
Williams’ tenure as Auburn’s coach was perhaps most memorable during the weeks that followed Bryan Harsin’s dismissal, which occurred with four games remaining in the 2022 regular season.
Williams was given the program’s keys and instructed to run it smoothly in his capacity as acting head coach.
Williams finished the last stretch with a 2-2 record, but he was instrumental in igniting an intense comeback that only someone with links to Auburn like himself could lead.
Williams played running back for Auburn from 2001 to 2004 after graduating from Etowah High School in Attalla with honors.
Williams ran for more than 3,800 yards and 45 touchdowns in his four years as a player for the Tigers; his 44th running touchdown broke Bo Jackson’s program record for most in a career.
Williams played in the NFL for seven seasons after graduating, most of them were with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who selected him with the fifth overall choice in the 2005 NFL Draft. Williams won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award from the Associated Press in the same year.
During the course of six seasons with the Buccaneers, two of which were cut short due to knee ailments, Williams amassed more than 3,680 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns. Before ending his professional career, Williams spent the 2011 season as a member of the St. Louis Rams, where he ran for 361 yards and a score.
