Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said new secondary coach Addison Williams had strong recommendations.
New Nebraska secondary coach Addison Williams got a happenstance reference while interviewing with the Husker coaching staff.
While Nebraska defensive coordinator John Butler interviewed Addison and Matt Rhule listened in, current Nebraska senior analyst Jamar Mozee walked into the room and heard Williams’ voice.
The pair had been together at UCF prior to Mozee coming to Nebraska and Mozee gave his strong endorsement of Williams.
«The interview is going on and I’m just listening and (Mozee) turns around and looks and sees Addison and he says, ‘You interviewing him?’ He’d been with him at UCF and he said, ‘That is a great football coach, a great recruiter and a guy who gets his guys to play.'»
Williams brings defensive coordinator experience from his time at UCF, where he spent four seasons. Williams served as defensive backs coach all four seasons and coordinated the defense in his final two years there.
In 2021, UCF ranked seventh nationally in pass efficiency defense (an improvement of 97 spots in the NCAA statistical rankings). The Knights closed the year with six victories in their final seven assignments to finish 9-4. UCF’s cornerbacks played critical roles as the Knights improved 86 slots in the passing yards allowed category, moving to 35th in 2021, allowing 89.1 yards fewer yards per game than in 2020.
Rhule said Williams will be with Nebraska for its bowl trip, and was officially announced by the program on Thursday evening.
When former Nebraska head coach Scott Frost was hired this month at UCF, Rhule said he reached out about Williams, who wasn’t retained by Frost in Orlando.
«Everyone from the people who were there, people who were getting there and I thought the interview was really great,» Rhule said of who recommended Williams.