Former Crimson standout Steven Williams ’08 begins his second year at Harvard in 2025, as the program’s assistant head coach – special teams coordinator, wide receivers.
In his first season, Williams helped Harvard capture its second consecutive Ivy League championship. His work with the wide receivers helped the Crimson offense rank second nationally in fewest passes intercepted, 10th in team passing efficiency, 15th in passing offense, 21st in scoring offense and 31st in total offense. Wideout Cooper Barkate was a Bushnell Cup finalist (Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year) and named an All-American by five different media outlets. Barkate and Scott Woods II also garnered All-Ivy League First Team and Honorable Mention accolades, respectively. The Harvard special teams, meanwhile, featured the Ivy's top punt returner in Woods, who ranked fifth in the country in punt return average and captured All-Ivy First Team honors, and All-Ivy Honorable Mention punter Sebastien Tasko.
A three-time Harvard letterwinner (2005, 2006, 2007), Williams tied the school record for most interceptions in a season (8 in 2007) and set the program standard for career INTs with 16, all while helping the Crimson win the 2007 Ivy League championship. Following Harvard’s title-winning campaign, Williams was named a 2007 Associated Press All-America Third-Team selection.
Williams returned to campus in 2024 for the first time since his playing days after a five-year stint at Campbell where he served as assistant head coach and special teams coordinator before being named interim head coach in Dec. 2023.
During his time in Buies Creek, North Carolina, Williams coached one of the nation’s top special-teams units, routinely ranking among the top 15 in several categories, producing numerous all-Big South performers and a pair of All-Americans in Jackson Hayes (LS) and VJ Wilkins (KR/WR).
Before landing with the Fighting Camels, Williams was in the NFL from 2015-19 with the Detroit Lions as a defensive quality control coach. While in The Motor City, Williams created weekly scouting reports, coordinated daily practice plans and schedules, controlled video data entries and produced all opponent game drawings. On the practice field, Williams worked the Lions secondary and assisted with their special-teams unit. On gamedays, Williams identified offensive personnel, charting opposition plays and formations, and advising the head coach and defensive coordinator in real time.
As a graduate assistant, Williams gained experience at both South Carolina and Penn State. During his time with the Gamecocks (2011-12), Williams assisted with their strength and conditioning program, defensive backs and special teams. From there, Williams went to the Big Ten (2012-15), serving as an offensive and defensive assistant as well as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. While in State College, Williams created weekly scouting reports, organized practices and assisted with the Nittany Lions’ wide receivers, secondary and linebackers. On gamedays, he signaled play calls, assisted with special teams and advised both the head coach and defensive coordinator on in-game decisions.
Following his graduation from Harvard, Williams taught and coached football as an assistant coach at Karen Wagner High School (2008-11) in San Antonio, Texas.
Williams earned his degree from Harvard in 2008, and later obtained his master’s degree in education from Penn State in 2014.
