Newly-hired Tennessee State head football coach Reggie Barlow has found his new defensive coordinator. Former NFL coach Gregg Williams is expected to join his staff, per a report by SI's Kyle Mosley.
Williams, who most recently held down a similar position with the UFL's DC Defenders, is expected to return to the college ranks for the first time since 1989. Before taking the job in the nation's capital, the longtime NFL coach had 10 different stints with eight franchises over the past four decades.
During Williams' tenure with the New Orleans Saints, he ran an illegal "bounty fund," which paid players incentives for injuring opponents. The NFL found that Williams and as many as 27 Saints defensive players were involved in the scheme, according to reports.
Barlow takes over for Eddie George who recently left TSU to fill an opening at Bowling Green. The former Defenders head coach was an eight-year veteran wide receiver in the NFL from 1996-2003 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It will mark Barlow's third stint with an HBCU school, following prior stops at Alabama State and Virginia State.
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Tennessee State is coming off the first Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Championship since 1999. George led the Tigers to back-to-back winning seasons and was ranked 19th in the FCS Top 25. He also earned Big South-OVC Coach of the Year honors.
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This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM.