Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
“You have to be a selfless player” - Q&A with Wide Receivers Coach Cornelius Williams
1/17/2024 5:00:00 PM | Football
The Blue Raiders’ new wide receivers coach comes to Murfreesboro with Alabama ties
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Cornelius Williams has been going "100 miles a minute" since he started as Middle Tennessee football's new wide receivers coach in December. With a signing class to finalize and film to break down ahead of winter workouts and spring ball, there's some things that haven't had the time to cross Williams' mind.
Like the former Troy Trojan wide receiver going to look for a trophy that he'd only lost once in his time as a player and a coach against Middle Tennessee: The Palladium.
"I hadn't even thought about that," the coach laughed when the rivalry trophy, created in 2003, was brought up in an interview earlier this month.
Williams won the Palladium all four years he was a wide receiver for Troy, from 2006-2009, none more memorable, and more agonizing for Blue Raider fans, than the "Miracle in Murfreesboro" in 2006, when Troy scored two touchdowns in the final two-and-half minutes to sneak out with a 21-20 victory and deny MTSU the Sun Belt title. Williams had three catches for 13 yards for the Trojans.
While coaching the Trojans from 2015-2020, Williams won back the Palladium on September 19, 2020, only for MTSU to reclaim the statue of Athena on November 21, 2020, Williams' only loss of the trophy while with Troy.
"The back-and-forth playing against Middle was great, because you knew what it was going to be," Williams said. "Rivalries are great for college football in general. To be able to experience that one in '06, the Miracle in Murfreesboro, that was incredible."
While the Trojans and Blue Raiders aren't scheduled to play again until 2033, Williams' time at his alma mater, as well as around the state of Alabama, has prepared him for his time at Middle Tennessee, where he reunites with Derek Mason, who he crossed over with during his time at Auburn. He most recently coached wide receivers at New Mexico this past season.
Williams and GoBlueRaiders.com Staff Writer Sam Doughton sat down earlier this month to talk about his coaching journey, what he learned during his time on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama and what his vision for the Blue Raider wide receivers looks like in 2024.
The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
---
Obviously, you and Coach Mason crossed over during your time on Auburn's staff in 2021. What really appealed to you about working on his staff at MTSU?
The first thing is Coach Mason, the person. Being with him at Auburn, just seeing how he worked, watching him. I used to go in there and hang out with the defensive staff. I'm still friends with some of those guys to this day. We had a really good relationship then. He helped me out and talked to me then. And our relationship continued to go on. Once I was let go from (Auburn), he was one of the first guys that came and talked to me and helped me out. He showed a lot of love to my family.
I knew that one day if he's the guy that gets the job that I would want to go work for him, because I knew what kind of person he was, and I knew what he brought to the table.
With Middle Tennessee, being able to get back to the South and being in a fertile recruiting ground, actually being able to drive to specific areas to recruit. You've got Atlanta three hours, Memphis, three and half, Birmingham, three. The Tennessee, Nashville area surrounding here.
Not quite Albuquerque?
Exactly! It's completely different. I see green grass and trees, it's not dry. That experience was good for me though. It allowed me to go to different places and see different things I've never seen before. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I had to go out and coach my own room again.
So much of your resume was built in the state of Alabama. What's the key to recruiting that state well on the prep level?
As always, I think it's about relationships. I've been blessed enough to literally have been at every Division I school in the state of Alabama except the HBCUs, Alabama State and Alabama A&M. From top to bottom, from South Alabama to UNA to Jacksonville State, UAB, Troy, Auburn, Alabama, I've been at every one of those schools and I don't think very many people can say that, if at all.
Many coaches in that state, I still know and have good relationships with. That's what it's all about, relationships and making sure you're staying in touch with people throughout your career, recruiting their guys and being honest with people, up front when you are recruiting their guys.
You spent a year on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, which has, of course, been in the news recently with his retirement. What's being an analyst like in that Crimson Tide machine really like?
First, I'm thankful to have worked for, in my opinion, the greatest of all time. To have the opportunity to do that was awesome because of the experience. You're able to take a backseat and be around a bunch of great coaches. And not just the on-the-field coaches, but guys that are off the field as well. You're able to sit there and see how guys operate. You get to see how (Saban) operates.
To me, he was like a machine. Disciplined as hell. He talks about the process and that's literally him and how he does things. To watch other guys work and be around them and ask questions and to have built relationships with those guys, the standard that (Saban) set at that place and how he does things is the best.
That was just a small time, but I learned the most football being there (than anywhere else), and I wasn't even there for a full year.
You've just gotten here, so you haven't had a chance to get on the field with the guys yet. But looking at the film of those returning and who y'all have already brought in, what excites you about your wide receiver room heading into 2024?
I think the guys that are here right now, just from talking to them and getting reports back, the kids seem like really, really good people. On top of that, I feel like these guys are hungry to work. The thing you see is you've got speed. You've got some guys that can really run, and you've got some guys that don't care about being nasty. They want to block the perimeter and be selfless players.
That's one of the first things I believe in, especially as a receivers coach and having played the position. You have to be a selfless player and you have to be willing and give great effort when the ball is not in your hands. Be able to block to spring big plays, not only for running backs in the backfield but for receivers too.
I think that having those guys coming back that can do that and then adding the pieces that we got gives us a chance to be very good. Like Gamarion Carter, who's coming from Vandy, who's long, who can run, really smart. Omari Kelly, a kid who I have a really, really good relationship with (from Auburn), another kid that's dynamic, can run. You add those guys in, along with the young freshman kid, Josh Evans, that's going to come in the spring. It's going to be special.
And then our OC, Bodie Reeder. Bodie and I got to work together at Auburn. I got to see him work and how organized and how disciplined he was and how well he knew ball. I think a lot of people don't really know about him, but I think he's going to do a really, really good job here and be able to get those guys the ball in space, allow us to run the ball and do some things that are different than what Middle has done in the past.
Not that there's anything wrong with the 10 personnel, Air Raid stuff, because that's what I've done my whole life and I love that. But as I've grown in the coaching profession, even being at Troy with Neal Brown, we used tight ends more, we started to run the ball more because you have to be able to do that.
Like the former Troy Trojan wide receiver going to look for a trophy that he'd only lost once in his time as a player and a coach against Middle Tennessee: The Palladium.
"I hadn't even thought about that," the coach laughed when the rivalry trophy, created in 2003, was brought up in an interview earlier this month.
Williams won the Palladium all four years he was a wide receiver for Troy, from 2006-2009, none more memorable, and more agonizing for Blue Raider fans, than the "Miracle in Murfreesboro" in 2006, when Troy scored two touchdowns in the final two-and-half minutes to sneak out with a 21-20 victory and deny MTSU the Sun Belt title. Williams had three catches for 13 yards for the Trojans.
While coaching the Trojans from 2015-2020, Williams won back the Palladium on September 19, 2020, only for MTSU to reclaim the statue of Athena on November 21, 2020, Williams' only loss of the trophy while with Troy.
"The back-and-forth playing against Middle was great, because you knew what it was going to be," Williams said. "Rivalries are great for college football in general. To be able to experience that one in '06, the Miracle in Murfreesboro, that was incredible."
While the Trojans and Blue Raiders aren't scheduled to play again until 2033, Williams' time at his alma mater, as well as around the state of Alabama, has prepared him for his time at Middle Tennessee, where he reunites with Derek Mason, who he crossed over with during his time at Auburn. He most recently coached wide receivers at New Mexico this past season.
Williams and GoBlueRaiders.com Staff Writer Sam Doughton sat down earlier this month to talk about his coaching journey, what he learned during his time on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama and what his vision for the Blue Raider wide receivers looks like in 2024.
The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
---
Obviously, you and Coach Mason crossed over during your time on Auburn's staff in 2021. What really appealed to you about working on his staff at MTSU?
The first thing is Coach Mason, the person. Being with him at Auburn, just seeing how he worked, watching him. I used to go in there and hang out with the defensive staff. I'm still friends with some of those guys to this day. We had a really good relationship then. He helped me out and talked to me then. And our relationship continued to go on. Once I was let go from (Auburn), he was one of the first guys that came and talked to me and helped me out. He showed a lot of love to my family.
I knew that one day if he's the guy that gets the job that I would want to go work for him, because I knew what kind of person he was, and I knew what he brought to the table.
With Middle Tennessee, being able to get back to the South and being in a fertile recruiting ground, actually being able to drive to specific areas to recruit. You've got Atlanta three hours, Memphis, three and half, Birmingham, three. The Tennessee, Nashville area surrounding here.
Not quite Albuquerque?
Exactly! It's completely different. I see green grass and trees, it's not dry. That experience was good for me though. It allowed me to go to different places and see different things I've never seen before. I'm thankful for the opportunity that I had to go out and coach my own room again.
So much of your resume was built in the state of Alabama. What's the key to recruiting that state well on the prep level?
As always, I think it's about relationships. I've been blessed enough to literally have been at every Division I school in the state of Alabama except the HBCUs, Alabama State and Alabama A&M. From top to bottom, from South Alabama to UNA to Jacksonville State, UAB, Troy, Auburn, Alabama, I've been at every one of those schools and I don't think very many people can say that, if at all.
Many coaches in that state, I still know and have good relationships with. That's what it's all about, relationships and making sure you're staying in touch with people throughout your career, recruiting their guys and being honest with people, up front when you are recruiting their guys.
You spent a year on Nick Saban's staff at Alabama, which has, of course, been in the news recently with his retirement. What's being an analyst like in that Crimson Tide machine really like?
First, I'm thankful to have worked for, in my opinion, the greatest of all time. To have the opportunity to do that was awesome because of the experience. You're able to take a backseat and be around a bunch of great coaches. And not just the on-the-field coaches, but guys that are off the field as well. You're able to sit there and see how guys operate. You get to see how (Saban) operates.
To me, he was like a machine. Disciplined as hell. He talks about the process and that's literally him and how he does things. To watch other guys work and be around them and ask questions and to have built relationships with those guys, the standard that (Saban) set at that place and how he does things is the best.
That was just a small time, but I learned the most football being there (than anywhere else), and I wasn't even there for a full year.
You've just gotten here, so you haven't had a chance to get on the field with the guys yet. But looking at the film of those returning and who y'all have already brought in, what excites you about your wide receiver room heading into 2024?
I think the guys that are here right now, just from talking to them and getting reports back, the kids seem like really, really good people. On top of that, I feel like these guys are hungry to work. The thing you see is you've got speed. You've got some guys that can really run, and you've got some guys that don't care about being nasty. They want to block the perimeter and be selfless players.
That's one of the first things I believe in, especially as a receivers coach and having played the position. You have to be a selfless player and you have to be willing and give great effort when the ball is not in your hands. Be able to block to spring big plays, not only for running backs in the backfield but for receivers too.
I think that having those guys coming back that can do that and then adding the pieces that we got gives us a chance to be very good. Like Gamarion Carter, who's coming from Vandy, who's long, who can run, really smart. Omari Kelly, a kid who I have a really, really good relationship with (from Auburn), another kid that's dynamic, can run. You add those guys in, along with the young freshman kid, Josh Evans, that's going to come in the spring. It's going to be special.
And then our OC, Bodie Reeder. Bodie and I got to work together at Auburn. I got to see him work and how organized and how disciplined he was and how well he knew ball. I think a lot of people don't really know about him, but I think he's going to do a really, really good job here and be able to get those guys the ball in space, allow us to run the ball and do some things that are different than what Middle has done in the past.
Not that there's anything wrong with the 10 personnel, Air Raid stuff, because that's what I've done my whole life and I love that. But as I've grown in the coaching profession, even being at Troy with Neal Brown, we used tight ends more, we started to run the ball more because you have to be able to do that.
Players Mentioned
MTSU Football Signing Day Press Conference 12/3/25
Wednesday, December 03
MTSU Football at New Mexico State post-game press conference – 11/29/25
Sunday, November 30
MTSU Football at New Mexico State post-game press conference – 11/29/25
Saturday, November 29
Raider Report Game 12 - MTSU vs. New Mexico State University
Friday, November 28
