Former Auburn football interim head coach Cadillac Williams is an obvious fit for Jacksonville State's opening; one that was created with Rich Rodriguez agreeing to return to West Virginia after 17 years away.
After a 2-2 stint while replacing Bryan Harsin in 2022, Williams proved he could win big games upon being thrown into the fire. While Texas A&M wasn't a great team that season, pulling off the win at Jordan-Hare Stadium was one of the best memories of AU's not-so-roarin 2020s.
The Gadsden native served as associate head coach under Hugh Freeze in 2023 but wasn't a good fit in the new regime, resigning in January 2024. Now, he's the running backs coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. With Tom Brady in tow, Antonio Pierce's job isn't safe. Williams's isn't either. It'd be best for Williams to leave on his own terms and lock up a local job at the FBS level.
Rodriguez certainly left JSU in a good place: Conference USA champions and with a solid footing in the region on the recruiting trail. Williams could keep that momentum going and likely nab some of the top running backs in the south.
College football is moving in the pro direction. Bill Belichick's hiring at North Carolina is proof of that. As was Deion Sanders' hiring in Colorado back in 2022. Williams has NFL connections and can bring in an accomplished name for the GM position -- a position that's quickly becoming the most important on a support staff.
.@JaxStateFB go get him! pic.twitter.com/ZSPO8bPJKQ
— AUBURN SUPERFAN #2✈️ (@MichaelFloyd_AU) December 12, 2024
You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger name for Jax State. And for Cadillac, he'd be hard-pressed to find a better potential springboard to eventually coaching Auburn when the program moves on from Freeze down the road.
It's a match made in heaven. Let's hope Greg Seitz gets the memo.