Former Auburn football head coach Gus Malzahn could be bringing his long-time LB coach with the Tigers with him to Orlando.
After Travis Williams was not retained by Bryan Harsin on the Plains, Williams found a new home with the Miami Hurricanes.
It seemed like things were going well in the Magic City, with Williams buying into the culture down in the 305 (per the Miami Herald):
"On the first day Travis Williams met with his linebackers in one of the Miami Hurricanes’ meeting rooms, the new assistant coach surveyed them about the Miami’s history. He asked every one of his players to think about their favorite former Hurricanes linebacker and go write the legend’s name on the board. There was no shortage of choices — Miami, after all, is “Linebacker U,” Williams said.“I really want them to understand we are at the U, which I really think is ‘Linebacker U,” the new inside linebackers coach said. “They just have to understand that these guys that laid the foundation and laid the bricks around here — when you watch them play on Saturdays you’ve got to understand some of these guys really take them serious. When it comes to playing football — especially linebacker — at Miami, they have to understand that.”"
And perhaps that’s still the case. As Cole Cubelic points out, despite the interest, there seems to be a long way to go before any deal goes down:
Mutual interest for Travis Williams as defensive coordinator at UCF.
— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) February 15, 2021
Long way to go to finalize but very possible at this point.
That this is even on the table is quite shocking, but it shows the loyalty Williams has…to everyone but Miami.
After he couldn’t be retained by Auburn football–which was not the outcome many were hoping for–he now has a chance of remaining as a coach under Malzahn, with who he was an LB coach from 2015-20 and served under as an analyst in 2014.
If Williams joins Malzahn in Orlando, it will be hard not to cheer on the Knights most nights in 2021…even if their claim to be 2017 National Champions comes at the Tigers’ expense.
Time will tell if this goes anywhere, but the energy for a move north within the Sunshine State for Travis Williams is now out there.
Fly War Eagle would personally love a reunion for two forever members of the Auburn family!