NFL diversity coaching internship will include Auburn football coach

For the second year in a row, the Auburn football team will be sending a staff member to California to study under an NFL coaching staff for a portion of the offseason.

The Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship is meant to help great coaches gain exposure to NFL training ultimately gain a full-time position in the league. According to the website, recipients will get to observe, participate, and gain experience through NFL training camps, offseason workouts, and minicamps.

Though not required, the NFL recommends hiring participants for the whole of training camp and preseason games, hiring at least two fellows that have offensive coaching backgrounds, and mentoring participants through constant feedback during their time with the team. Participants must either be a former NFL player or have coaching experience at the high school, college, or any professional level.

Last year, the Tigers sent secondary coach Zac Etheridge off to California for the fellowship, where he gained experience under the Los Angeles Chargers. This year, defensive analyst Vontrell King-Williams will spend time with the Los Angeles Rams.

King-Williams spent two years under Coach Hugh Freeze at Liberty as a graduate assistant before taking on the role of coaching Eastern Michigan’s defensive backs during the 2022 season. He joined Freeze’s Auburn football coaching staff in January, and has been working with defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett since his arrival on the Plains. Coach Garrett had high praise for the defensive analyst, per AL.com:

"“Vontrell is awesome,” Garrett said in February. “…He’s a really good coach. He’s a smart coach. He’s a really good teacher. He knows the players and gets to know those guys well. I just think what he’s going to bring to the table, it’s going to be a dynamic duo in recruiting and teaching these guys. I think it’s a home run hire and we’re lucky to have him.”"

The length of the fellowship ranges from team to team, and could last for a few days to a few weeks with the possibility of the fellow being hired on for the rest of the season or year.