A former player and volunteer assistant coach for Watson Brown at UAB, Sam
Williamson is now in his sixth season as the defensive line coach at Tech. Williamson also coordinates the running game defense, and this year was elevated to the role of assistant head coach.
   
Last year, on the way to winning a share of the OVC title, the Golden Eagle
defense ranked first in the OVC and was first in the league in rushing defense,
allowing only 148.5 yards per game.
   
Williamson has helped shape the careers of several notable Tech defenders, including  Geoffrey Woods and John Jackson, both named all-OVC in 200. Justin Hilliard, a second-team all-OVC pick in 2009, was another of his students. He has also worked with standouts Travis Adkins and Brenden Fisher, and this year Jordan Johnson could emerge as one of the most effective defensive linemen in school history.
   
Williamson, 29, 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.
   
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.