Report: LSU to hire former national champion Kyle Williams for defensive line job

LSU is reportedly set to hire a former national champion to serve as its defensive line coach after an exhaustive search. Kyle Williams, who was part of the 2003 squad on the Bayou, is the guy.

Wilson Alexander of The Advocate reported the news that Williams was being targeted on Thursday. 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reported he had accepted the job. Williams was most recently serving as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Ruston High School, in the northern part of the state.

After he starred at LSU and won a national championship with Nick Saban, Kyle Williams went to the NFL. He spent 13 years there.

Williams was a six-time Pro Bowler and earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2010. He entered the league in 2006, a fifth-round pick by the Bills.

His time at LSU was the stuff of legends. On top of the national title, he collected several accolades.

Kyle Williams was a second-team All-American in 2005. He was a first-team All-SEC selection that year, too. A year prior, in 2004, he was a second-team All-SEC selection.

In total, Williams played in 46 games for LSU with 33 starts. He finished his career with 16.5 sacks, which ranks as the 11th highest total in program history. He also notched 26 tackles for a loss, which is also top 15 in LSU history.

The reported hiring of Kyle Williams for the open defensive line gig comes after LSU was reportedly turned down by another SEC assistant. News of that emerged last week.

Florida football assistant spurns LSU

Though the Kyle Williams news will delight LSU fans, it came after a few other moves went by the wayside. LSU had to pivot once again on the assistant coaching front after recent overtures to a Florida assistant were spurned.

According to The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman, Gerald Chatman will be staying with the Florida Gators. Feldman says there was “a lot of consideration” from Chatman about moving to LSU but he is opting to spend a second season under head coach Billy Napier.

“SOURCE: After a lot of consideration, Gerald Chatman who was a top target for the LSU D-line coaching vacancy, has opted to remain at Florida,” Feldman said via X. “In his first season at UF, the Gators made big jumps in sacks, TFLs and turnovers. LSU is looking to hire its EIGHTH D-line coach since 2020.”

Chatman did have experience at LSU, under two different coaching staffs. Heading back to The Boot was certainly an option but after deliberating the idea, Chatman will stay with Florida.

No matter, of course, now that Kyle Williams is the guy. That will do just fine for Tigers fans.