Providence School brings in former Jaguar Maurice Williams to lead football program

Williams arrives following a nine-year pro career and a successful stint as a high school assistant coach

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – The Providence School of Jacksonville turned to a familiar figure in the community to lead their football program when it hired Maurice Williams to be the next varsity head coach.

Williams takes over the Providence Stallions program where he once served as an assistant coach. From 2013-2017, Williams lent his coaching expertise to the program as an offensive assistant, working specifically with the offensive line.

The Providence School is pleased to announce Maurice C. Williams as the new Head Coach of our Providence Stallions football team.https://t.co/N7NjrbgWdf pic.twitter.com/eMsQ1Tq7OI

— Providence School (@provschool) January 14, 2022

Although this is his first go around as a high school head coach, Williams brings a wealth of experience in the game to this new position. A standout collegiate player at the University of Michigan, Williams earned All-Big Ten honors as a senior.

Williams found his way to the National Football League (NFL) from there, becoming a second-round pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars during the 2001 NFL Draft. He retired from the NFL in 2009 after starting over 100 games for Jacksonville.

Following his retirement, Williams remained associated with the Jaguars. A licensed pastor, Williams served as the team chaplain.

Williams replaces former head coach Bobby Dan McGlohorn, who led the program from 2018-2021. McGlohorn left Providence with a 14-20 record overall.

Williams assumed full football responsibilities at Providence earlier this month after completing his time with the Jaguars. While he’s never led a program, Williams sports a long history in the game and knows who to turn to for help.

“I’m learning and just talking to as many people as I can,” Williams told news4jax.com following his hiring in January. “I believe that the more people you talk to and gather wisdom, you’ll learn a little bit instead of just jumping in and saying, ‘I got this.’”

Williams turned to several other former Jaguars players who have made the transition to prep coaching, including Hall of Fame offensive tackle Tony Boselli as well as Todd Fordham, who’s now an assistant at nearby Bolles School in Jacksonville.

Williams worked as an assistant coach with Boselli and then-head coach Jeff Kopp, another former Jaguar, at Providence. He’s also spent time understanding the prep transition with former Jaguars quarterback Quinn Gary, who’s head coach at Lincoln High School in Tallahassee, Florida.

He’s built out much of his staff with former Jaguars players, including Donovin Darius, Reggie Hayward, Roy Miller, and Joe Zelenka, to supplement the Stallions’ returning assistants. What’s more, he’s hoping to lure Greg Jones, another former Jacksonville pro, to the staff as well, considering Jones’ son will be on the team.

Williams inherits a Providence program coming off a 3-7 campaign where the offense averaged just 15.7 points per game. The Stallions’ last winning season came in 2019, when the team finished with a 6-2 record. Providence’s last playoff victory came back in 2010.

Williams says his primary goals with the Providence football program are to “establish consistency” and “create a culture.

“I know Providence and the families that are represented there. And so I’m excited about the kids that I get to work with.”

Providence will play the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) District 1-1M (Metro). Included in that district are Christ's Church Academy, North Florida Educational Institute, Trinity Christian Academy, and University Christian.