Donte Antonio Williams (born September 1, 1982) is an American football coach who is the defensive backs coach at the University of Georgia. He previously served as USC's associate head coach under Clay Helton, and he became USC's interim head coach on September 13, 2021, after Helton was fired. After leading the Trojans for the final 10 games of the 2021 season, Williams remained at the school on the staff of new head coach Lincoln Riley.[1] A coach with stints at Oregon, Nebraska, Arizona, and San Jose State, Williams has established himself as one of the nation's top college football recruiters.[2]
In 2013, Williams was hired to be the cornerbacks coach at San Jose State University. In 2014, he was promoted to defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator.
In 2020, Williams was hired as the defensive passing game coordinator and cornerbacks coach at the University of Southern California (USC) under head coach Clay Helton. In 2021, he was promoted to assistant head coach.
On September 13, 2021, Williams was named USC's interim head coach following Helton's dismissal. Williams became the first Black head coach in USC's football history.[3] On September 18, 2021, Williams made his head coaching debut and led the Trojans to a 45–14 victory over Washington State. The Trojans went 3-7 under Williams during the program's worst season in 30 years.
Williams was retained on USC's staff by Riley in January 2022 as the Trojans' defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator.[4]
Georgia
In December 2023, Williams left USC to become the defensive backs coach at the University of Georgia.
