FSU Football Staffer Expected To Take Position With SEC School
The coaching carousel is a natural part of the sport and programs around the country lose multiple staffers every offseason, by choice, or not. That doesn't make it any less tougher to see a quality coach and person depart for a role elsewhere.
Florida State's offensive line has had a resurgence over the past couple of years with head coach Mike Norvell and offensive coordinator Alex Atkins taking over in Tallahassee. Atkins gets most of the credit but he is quick to defer to the job of his entire offensive line staff, which includes senior offensive analyst Gabe Fertitta and graduate assistant Cooper Williams.
The trio have all been instrumental in their work with the unit, whether that's on the field or on the recruiting trail. However, for the first time in two years, Atkins will have to retool his staff as he prepares for the 2024 season.
After four years at Florida State, Williams is expected to join Missouri as a graduate assistant. He will continue working with the offensive line in Columbia under head coach Eli Drinkwitz.
"Thank you FSU Football! To coach Norvell and the whole staff; I’m so thankful for the times we shared, lessons learned, and the adversity we faced. To the players, the success we had was all because of your WORK. Coaches draw the map, but you guys do all the driving #KeepCLIMBing"
Williams has worked under Mike Norvell at Memphis and Florida State since his coaching career began in 2017. He started off as a student assistant before moving into an analyst role for the Tigers. Williams followed Norvell when he was hired by the Seminoles, serving as an offensive last in 2020 before assuming a graduate assistant position for the last three years.
A Memphis native, Williams suited up for the Tigers from 2014-16. Memphis made a bowl game during all three years of his playing career, including in 2016 where Norvell's debut with the Tigers resulted in an 8-5 finish. He earned his bachelor's degree in business management from the university the following year. Florida State produced nine all-conference selections during his time with the program.
Williams will be an underrated loss as he moves on to Missouri. The Tigers have compiled a 28-21 record under Drinkwitz, including an 11-2 campaign this past season where the program capped things off with a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
Florida State will be without offensive line coach and offensive coordinator, Alex Atkins, for the first three games of the upcoming season after the NCAA levied penalties against the program for NIL violations earlier this month. It's currently unclear if the Seminoles will be able to promote another coach to an on-field position during Atkins' absence.
The Seminoles have already lost a couple of staffers early in the offseason. Director of Scouting, John Garrett, previously departed to take the General Manager of Player Personnel position at Duke.
READ MORE: Florida CFO Accuses NCAA President, Former FSU AD Of Retaliation After NIL Punishment
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