Meet the Coaches: Buddha Williams Coaching Indiana Defensive Ends to Play Harder Than Everyone
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Several members of the new Indiana coaching staff used to be rivals with Buddha Williams, but now they’re joining forces in an effort to elevate the program.
Williams, now the Indiana defensive ends coach, coached North Dakota State defensive ends from 2017-21, a run that saw the Bison win four Division I FCS national titles. One of North Dakota State’s top challengers was James Madison, coached by Curt Cignetti and the seven staff members he’s now brought to Indiana. In three seasons at the FCS level under Cignetti, James Madison lost twice to North Dakota State in the playoffs – first in the 2019 national championship game and again in the 2021 semifinals.
Those Bison-Dukes matchups ultimately formed the connection that united Williams, Cignetti and the former James Madison assistants at Indiana.
“We always kept getting matched up,” Williams said in an interview with Rhett Lewis. “So both staffs got to know each other just by competition and going against each other.”
Williams played three seasons at Charleston, where he eventually earned his first job as a linebackers coach in 2010. Prior to Indiana, his other coaching stops included graduate assistant positions at Ashland, Ohio and Illinois, along with defensive line coaching positions at UT Martin, North Dakota State and Colorado State.
Williams’ success at North Dakota led to his first FBS opportunity to coach the Colorado State defensive line, where he helped Mohamed Kamara win 2023 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Now with the Hoosiers, Williams wants the effort of the defensive ends to stand out.
“When you pop on the tape, I hope that there’s no group in the country that plays harder than us,” Williams said. “You could look at little league football, you could look at the NFL. We just pride ourselves on how hard we play and how fast we play, and then I think big plays will happen if you’re able to push people’s buttons, play faster and then play harder for a long period of time.”
Like most of the roster, Indiana’s defensive end position group has gone through several changes during the transition between coaching staffs. The biggest loss was Andre Carter, who finished second with 11 tackles for loss in 2023 and has signed a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent.
Other contributors from last season like Lanell Carr Jr. and Venson Sneed return, and Indiana will hope for a redshirt freshman year jump from former top-500 recruit Ta’Derius Collins.
When working with young players like Sneed and Collins, Williams said he likes to let guys be who they are and build up their strengths rather than trying to change them. He sees Sneed as a powerful pass rusher, while Collins is “extremely athletic,” and he wants to highlight those qualities.
That process is what Williams really enjoys as a coach.
“There’s no better feeling than taking a guy that was struggling as a freshman and then him actually reaping the benefits of staying and developing and becoming an all-american, becoming an all-conference guy, becoming a starter or even becoming a significant role player,” Williams said. “… I think that’s what kind of gets me going and gives me motivation.”
The rest of Williams’ group is new to the Indiana defensive line room.
Cignetti brought along James Madison transfer Mikail Kamara, a second-team All-Sun Belt player in 2023 who totaled 17.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. After playing inside linebacker at Indiana last season, Cignetti wanted Jacob Mangum-Farrar to put on 15-20 pounds and make the transition to Indiana’s “stud” defensive end position. Those two figure to be Indiana’s top options on each end.
Mangum-Farrar said Williams has managed the mix of transfers, returners and players changing positions well by welcoming everyone and making it feel like a collaborative effort. And with Kamara’s deep knowledge of this defensive system from his time at James Madison, he has helped Mangum-Farrar adjust to the faster reaction time needed along the defensive line, compared to linebacker.
He was also quick to praise Williams during spring practice.
“Coach Buddha’s one of the top coaches in the country,” Kamara said.
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JACK ANKONY
Jack Ankony is a Sports Illustrated/FanNation writer for HoosiersNow.com. He graduated from Indiana University's Media School with a degree in journalism. Follow on Twitter @ankony_jack.