untung99.biz: Alan Williams

Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams enters his second season as defensive coordinator for the Bears in 2023.

Williams has 31 seasons of coaching experience, including 22 in the National Football League. Prior to joining the Bears in 2022, he spent four seasons as the Indianapolis Colts’ safeties coach, his second stint with the club after previously serving as the defensive backs coach for 10 seasons (2002-2011). He has additional stops with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2001), Minnesota Vikings (2012-13) and Detroit Lions (2014-17).

During his first season in Chicago, Williams helped guide a defense that was the youngest on-field roster in the NFL, as Bears defensive rookies led all teams with 3,538 total snaps. Despite a young roster, the Bears’ defense finished the season ranked among the Top-10 in several categories: completions allowed (323, 6th), interception percentage (2.9%, 8th), interception yards (201, 9th) and fourth down conversions (6, 1st) to name a few.

Through the first eight weeks of the 2022 season, the Bears defense ranked fourth in the league with nine interceptions. Four of those picks came from All-Pro safety Eddie Jackson, who saw a bounce-back season under Williams prior to being placed on IR. In Weeks 1-12 before suffering an injury, Jackson ranked third among all NFL safeties in solo tackles (59), fifth in total tackles (80) and his four interceptions were tied for second in the NFL and were the most by a Bears safety since the start of the 1990 season.

In Williams’ four seasons as the Colts’ safeties coach, he and then-defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus were part of the only NFL defensive unit to be ranked in the top-10 in scoring, run defense and takeaways in their last two seasons (2020-21). From 2018-21, the Colts finished in the top-10 in the NFL in run defense and takeaways. They also ranked in the top-10 in scoring defense in three of their four seasons with the organization and were the least penalized defense in the league in 2019 and 2021. The Colts also finished in the top-10 in run defense in each of their last three seasons and reached the playoffs in two of the last four seasons (2018 and 2020). In 2021, the Colts were tied for third in the NFL with 19 interceptions.

In 2020, the Colts ranked sixth in the NFL in passes defensed (78). Indianapolis also tied for seventh in the league in interceptions (15) and games with two-or-more interceptions (four). The team led the league with four interceptions returned for touchdowns. In his second season, safety Khari Willis compiled 82 tackles (63 solo), 3.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), six passes defensed and one forced fumble. He finished third on the team in total tackles for the second consecutive season.

In 2019, the Indianapolis defense was stout against the run and finished seventh in the league after allowing 97.9 yards per game. The Colts defense also ranked in the top-10 in interceptions (15, seventh) and takeaways (23, tied-10th).

In 2018, Indianapolis’ defense finished 11th in the league in total defense. The unit also ranked eighth in rush defense and 10th in the NFL in points allowed and registered the second-most tackles-for-loss in the league. Indianapolis was also one of only three teams to not allow a 100-yard rusher despite facing five of the top-10 rushers in the NFL. The Colts defense forced at least one turnover in a league-most 15 games, including multiple turnovers in seven games.

In his final season with the Detroit Lions in 2017, Williams guided a defensive unit that posted the fourth-most interceptions in the NFL (19) while tying for the league-high in interceptions returned for touchdown (three). The Lions also tied for 10th in passes defensed (79). Williams helped guide cornerback Darius Slay to his first career Pro Bowl and Associated Press All-Pro Team selections. Slay had a career year as he registered 60 tackles (54 solo) and set career highs with eight interceptions, 26 passes defensed and one fumble recovery. Slay finished first in the NFL in passes defensed and tied for first in interceptions.

In 2016, the Lions were one of only two teams (Tampa Bay) in the NFL with three safeties who recorded two-or-more interceptions and one of five teams who featured four safeties with at least one interception. Detroit’s seven interceptions by safeties marked the third time since 2000 that Lions safeties registered seven-or-more interceptions in a season since 2000.

In Williams’ first season as the defensive backs/safeties coach with Detroit in 2014, he had an immediate impact on the Lions’ secondary. By the end of the season, the Lions had allowed the fewest rushing yards (1,109 yards/69.3 yards per game) in the NFL. Detroit’s safeties unit also led the NFL in interceptions (11) and ranked fourth in passes defensed (20). Defensive Back Glover Quin had the most productive season of his career under Williams, compiling 73 tackles (57 solo), a career-high seven interceptions and 10 passes defensed; all of which earned his first-career Pro Bowl selection.

Williams’ first tenure as a defensive coordinator was in Minneapolis with the Vikings (2012-13). Under Williams’ guidance, the Vikings were tied for seventh in sacks (85.0) and ninth in tackles for loss (91.0). In 2013, despite being forced to play with a depleted secondary majority of the season due to injuries, safety Andrew Sendejo, cornerback Marcus Sherels and cornerback Shaun Prater all logged their first career interceptions under Williams. Veteran defensive end Jared Allen also had a standout season, leading the team in sacks with 11.5 while fellow defensive end Brian Robison recorded a career-best 9.0 sacks.

Prior to his stint in Minneapolis, Williams spent a decade coaching the Colts secondary, where he worked with some of the NFL’s best safeties, including Antoine Bethea and Bob Sanders. From 2002-2011, the Colts ranked in the top-six in the NFL in passing defense five times and only once did not finish in the top-15. Williams guided Bethea (2007, 2009) and Sanders (2005, 2007) each to two Pro Bowl seasons. In 2007, Sanders was named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year, the first Colts player to ever receive the honor.

From 2002-2010, the Colts earned nine-consecutive playoff berths. During the playoffs, the defense recorded 18 interceptions, including seven during the team’s playoff-run to their Super Bowl XLI win over Chicago in 2006. In 2008, Williams’ secondary also helped the Colts defense set an NFL record for fewest passing touchdowns allowed with six, the lowest number ever surrendered in a 16-game season.

Williams NFL coaching career began with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2001, while he served as a defensive assistant under former head coach Tony Dungy. In Tampa Bay, Williams worked with All-Pro players such as John Lynch and Ronde Barber. He also coached alongside current Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin and helped the Bucs reach a 9-7 record and an NFC Wild Card berth.

A former running back standout at William & Mary (1988-91), Williams returned to his alma mater to begin his collegiate coaching career in 1996. At William & Mary, he coached the running backs (1996-97) and defensive backs (1998-2000) for five seasons. Williams got his start in coaching as an assistant head coach at Norview (Va.) High School, where he tutored the running backs and defensive backs from 1992-95.

A Norfolk, Va. native, Williams and his wife, Lisa, have three children – Christian, Solomon and Nathan.