Paul Williams is in his second season as Stanford’s cornerbacks coach in 2024.
Three Stanford cornerbacks recorded their first career interceptions in 2023, led by Zahran Manley with a pair. Both Manley and Collin Wright started every game for Stanford in the secondary. Wright was the highest-graded defender for Stanford, according to PFF.com, and the team's best defender against the run.
Williams comes to Stanford from Wake Forest, where he has coached cornerbacks the last three seasons, helping the Demon Deacons to a 23-13 during his three seasons in Winston-Salem. He brings 23 years of experience coaching the secondary to The Farm.
In 2022, Williams guided a Wake Forest defense that forced 16 turnovers (seven interceptions, nine fumbles) as the program won eight games for just the 10th time in the 115-year history of the program. Additionally, the Demon Deacons downed Missouri in the 2022 Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl, which marked the 11th bowl victory in program history.
In 2021, Williams helped head coach Dave Clawson lead Wake Forest to a program-record tying 11-3 record, including a school-best 7-1 mark in ACC play. The defensive backs helped Wake Forest force 29 turnovers (15 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries). That total was the most for Wake Forest since 2008 when they tallied 37 turnovers.
Additionally with good coverage on the back end of the defense, Wake Forest tallied 38 sacks in 2021 to set another Clawson-era record. That mark was second-most in Wake Forest history.
Williams tutored Ja’Sir Taylor and Caelen Carson to All-ACC Honorable Mention honors in 2021. Taylor went on to be a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.
During his first season at Wake Forest in 2020, his cornerbacks played an instrumental role in helping a Demon Deacon defense finish the season with a +10-turnover margin, the highest in the Clawson era. Wake Forest was one of just seven FBS schools to post a +10 or better margin in the country, tying for fourth in that category.
Taylor was a 2020 All-ACC honoree and rookie Gavin Holmes returned his first career interception for a touchdown at Syracuse.
Williams has a long history of training NFL talent during his coaching career. Williams has 11 players on active NFL rosters and has produced 14 NFL draft picks from five different schools. In his last six stops as an on-field coach, Williams has produced at least one NFL defensive back.
During the 2018 season at Houston, Williams had three players ranked in the AAC’s top 25 for passes defended and he mentored 2019 fourth-round draft pick Isiah Johnson (Oakland Raiders).
Williams spent the 2016-17 seasons at Illinois, where protégé Bennett Williams earned Freshman All-America honors and was one of four defensive backs to earn postseason honors in 2017. In his first season in Champaign, Williams coached the 16th-ranked pass defense, allowing only 185.9 yards per game through the air.
At Miami from 2011-15, Williams helped the Hurricanes reach three straight bowl games from 2013-15. During the 2014 season, Miami ranked 17th national in pass defense, allowing just 191.4 yards per game. He developed eight future NFL players during his five seasons in Coral Gables, including 2016 first-round draft pick, Artie Burns.
Williams spent five seasons (2006-10) at Temple, helping the Owls to a 17-7 record over his final two seasons in Philadelphia. Defensive back Jaiquawn Jarrett earned first team All-MAC honors before being selected in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
During his lone season at Western Michigan, the Broncos went from one win in 2004 to seven wins in 2005. Williams coached Louis Delman, a second-round pick by the Detroit Lions who later spent six years in the NFL.
A 1996 graduate of Delaware, Williams spent six seasons at his alma mater (1999-04). During his time on staff, he was integral in helping build the Blue Hens to a national power, capped off by a 15-1 record and Division I-AA national championship in 2003. Delaware cornerback Sidney Haugabrook was a four-time all-conference honoree and an All-American in 2004. Not to be outdone, defensive backs Mike Adams and Ricardo Walker; placekickers Brad Shushman and Scott Collins; return specialist Brett Veach; as well as punters Ryan Bleiler and Chris Steiner were all named to all-league teams under Williams.
Williams was key in the development of Adams, a Blue Hen great who played 16 seasons in the NFL after going undrafted. He earned Pro Bowl nods in 2014 and 2015.
Williams began his coaching career at Lafayette in 1996 and then spent two seasons at Penn.
Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education studies in 1996 from Delaware, lettering four years and playing on two Yankee Conference championship teams. During his career, he tallied 189 tackles, 27 pass breakups and 10 interceptions. He also ran track and set the school’s record in the indoor 200 meters and won the 200 meters at the 1993 American East Outdoor Championships.
He and his wife, Nicole, have three children: Austin, Jaxon and Leah.