A former player and volunteer assistant coach for Watson Brown at UAB, Sam Williamson is now in his fifth season as the defensive line coach on the Tennessee Tech football coaching staff. Williamson also coordinates the running game defense, a role he added to his coaching duties last season.

In his first season on the Tech staff, he helped shape the final season for seniors Geoffrey Woods and John Jackson, both named all-OVC under Williamson’s direction. Last year's defensive line featured senior captains Charlie Seivers and Dedrick Miley, along with senor Justin Hilliard, named second-team all-OVC.

This year, Williamson's challenge is to replace those graduated seniors, but he has a group of eager young players who have gained some experience and are anxious to step forward into key roles. The list of returnees under Williamson's direction at the inside positions (Anchor and Rock) includes senior Travis Adkins, junior LaDarius Verge, sophomores Jordan Johnson, Lamar Moor, Nick White and DuJuan Brown, and redshirt freshmen Nathan Bush and Matthew Smith.

At the end positions (Bear and Ram), Williamson is working with some of the top players on the defensive side of scrimmage, including returing starters Jamere Hogue, Marcus Edwards and Dwight Evans.

Williamson, 28, is a 2005 graduate of UAB where he was a four-year letterman as a defensive tackle for the Blazers. He is a native of Greenville, Ala.

Following graduation, he spent one season as a volunteer assistant coach for the Blazers, helping to mold the defensive line. He worked in developing the talents of NFL players Jermaine McElveen and Kyle Bissinger.

Currently in his first full-time position, Williamson had the opportunity to learn Brown’s system as both a player and coach at UAB, and has been able to put that knowledge and experience to use in working toward building a winner at TTU.

Elected as the captain of both the football and basketball teams at Greenville (Ala.) High School, Williamson continued in a leadership role with the Blazers during his collegiate career. He was twice named the team captain, twice chosen the Conference USA Player of the Week, and was named to the C-USA Academic Honor Roll.

A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Williamson was also active in the Big Brother, Big Sister program in Birmingham during his playing career.

A defensive tackle, he was a full-time starter his final two years and saw some additional starting duty as a sophomore in 2003. He finished his career with 106 total tackles, including 12 tackles-for-loss and four quarterback sacks.

In 2004, he was on the field for the Blazers when they played in the Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl.
Williamson received his bachelor’s degree in Justice Science in 2005, and was a volunteer assistant coach during the 2006 season, working with the defensive line.

He also worked one year in the Sports Medicine and Fitness program at UAB, mentoring high school seniors and supervising student-athletes from high schools and middle schools.

Williamson is the proud father of one son, Braylon Williamson, born May 6, 2008.