FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas Football Head Coach Sam Pittman has named a new defensive coordinator.
Travis Williams has been picked as the Razorbacks’ new defensive coordinator. With more than 10 years of coaching experience, Williams played at Auburn and later was the Tigers’ co-defensive coordinator.
On the field, he starred as a two-time All-SEC linebacker, including first-team honors in 2004, leading the Tigers in tackles during their undefeated season in 2004.
He heads to Fayetteville with his wife Jeanine and daughters Tru, Reign and Brave after spending the last two seasons calling the defense for UCF as the Knights’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Williams’ first defense in Orlando finished the season strong in 2021, helping the Knights win six of their final seven games with the defense giving up just 11.8 points per game in the six victories. The defense ended the season ranked seventh nationally in pass efficiency defense (110.7) and 26th in tackles for loss (6.8/game).
At Auburn, Williams served as co-defensive coordinator alongside Kevin Steele while also working as the Tigers’ linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator. He helped his alma mater finish in the Top 20 in the nation in scoring defense in four of his last five seasons (2016-20) on The Plains.
As the linebackers coach, Auburn allowed just 54 rushing touchdowns combined to rank fifth nationally during those five seasons – including just eight in 2016 and nine in 2018.
Arkansas' former defensive coordinator Barry Odam was hired as the head football coach at the University of Las Vegas.
Coaching Experience
2009-11 Auburn (Graduate Assistant)
2012 Northern Iowa (Linebackers)
2013 Creekside (Ga.) HS (Defensive Coordinator)
2014-15 Auburn (Defensive Analyst)
2016-18 Auburn (Linebackers)
2019-20 Auburn (Co-Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2021 Miami (Linebackers)
2021-22 UCF (Defensive Coordinator)