Alabama hires former Auburn WR coach for analyst role

[aubiefifty 17,492]

Alabama hires former Auburn WR coach for analyst role

By Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com

2-3 minutes

Former Auburn receivers coach Cornelius Williams was hired by Alabama for an analyst job. (Photo by Giana Han)

Add two more notable names to Alabama’s roster of football analysts.

The Crimson Tide’s official staff list was updated on its website Thursday to include longtime SEC defensive coordinator Todd Grantham and former Auburn receivers coach Cornelius Williams.

Williams, a graduate of Hoover High and Troy University, was fired by Auburn coach Bryan Harsin just four games into the 2021 season. Since he signed a two-year contract for $300,000 a year, Auburn will be largely footing the bill for Williams’ work in Tuscaloosa. His buyout calls for him to be paid the full amount minus earnings from a new employer, which for this position is considerably lower than $300,000.

Before Auburn, Williams spent six seasons coaching receivers at his alma mater, Troy. He was a receiver at Troy from 2006-09 before moving into coaching. After a year as a graduate assistant at South Alabama, Williams previously had jobs at Murray State, North Alabama, Jacksonville State and UAB.

Harsin fired him less than a day after a 34-24 comeback win over Georgia State in September after vocal criticism of the Auburn receivers on multiple occasions.

Grantham spent the last four years as Florida’s defensive coordinator and was the fourth-highest-paid college assistant in the nation last year with a $1.8 million salary.

The highest-paid Alabama analyst made just north of $80,000 in the 2021 fiscal year, according to UA’ payroll database. Before being fired by Dan Mullen midseason, Grantham was a defensive coordinator at Mississippi State, Georgia and Louisville.

Alabama previously hired former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley and ex-LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger for back-office analyst roles for the 2022 season.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.