Keith Williams returns to New Orleans for his second season as the Saints' wide receivers coach. The Lodi, Calif. native has four years of NFL coaching experience, 18 years at the collegiate level, and has also served as a personal coach for several top NFL wide receivers, including All-Pros Davante Adams and Tyreek Hill.
In 2024, Williams led a wide receiver corps featuring several new faces after the position group's two starters, Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed were sidelined after midseason. Olave had 32 receptions for 400 yards with one touchdown in eight games. Shaheed caught 20 passes for 349 yards (17.5 avg.) with three touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week Six. Williams quickly integrated midseason acquisition Marquez Valdes-Scantling into the offense and the veteran responded, making 17 receptions for 385 yards (22.6 avg.), while leading the wideouts with four touchdowns, three from a distance of 28 yards or more.
Williams arrived in New Orleans after three years on the Baltimore Ravens coaching staff, where he served as assistant wide receivers coach in 2023 and as the team's pass game specialist from 2021-22, working with the wideouts.
In 2023, Williams worked with Ravens Wide Receivers Coach Greg Lewis to tutor a unit that contributed to Baltimore ranking fourth in the NFL in scoring (28.4 ppg.) and sixth in total offense (370.4 ypg.). Zay Flowers, the club's first round pick, set rookie franchise marks in catches (77) and receiving yards (858), adding six total touchdowns (five receiving and one rushing).
In 2022, Williams helped guide WR Devin Duvernay to career-bests in receptions (37), receiving yards (407) and receiving touchdowns (3), while Demarcus Robinson also finished with a career-best 48 catches. In 2021, Williams contributed to scheming a passing attack that made the league's biggest improvement (+61.8 ypg.) from 2020 with Marquise Brown enjoying a breakout campaign with 91 receptions for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns.
Prior to his first professional experience as wide receivers coach of the AAF's San Antonio franchise in 2019, Williams mentored wide receivers for 18 years at the college level, including time with Nebraska (2015-17) and at Tulane (2012-14).
Mentoring the Cornhuskers' wide receivers under Head Coach Mike Riley, Nebraska's wideouts flourished under Williams' leadership upon arrival in 2015, with the group combining for more than 200 receptions, nearly 2,800 yards and 23 touchdowns. Nebraska ranked in the Top three in the Big Ten Conference in passing offense, scoring offense, total offense and third-down conversions.
During his tenure at Tulane, Williams garnered impressive production out of the Green Wave's wideouts. In 2013, Tulane's wide receivers combined for 156 receptions, totaling 1,877 yards (12.0 avg.) and 18 touchdowns, as the team had its first winning record and bowl berth since 2002. In his first season in Uptown New Orleans in 2012, the Green Wave's receiving corps combined for 186 receptions, 2,656 receiving yards and 19 touchdown grabs. He mentored Ryan Grant, who was later selected by Washington in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft, to a conference-high 1,149 receiving yards.
Williams tutored the wideouts at Fresno State from 2009-11, where he guided three of his wideouts (former Saint Jalen Saunders – 2011, Jamel Hamler – 2010 and Seyi Ajirotutu – 2009) to All-Western Athletic Conference honors. The Bulldogs made two bowl appearances (2009-10) in Williams's three seasons.
From 2005-08, Williams received valuable experience as offensive coordinator at San Jose City College, also coaching wideouts. From 2001-04, he served as wide receivers coach at San Jose State. In 2001 under his mentoring, Edell Shepherd set Spartans single-season records in receptions (83 – surpassed), receiving yards (1,500 – stands) and touchdown grabs (14 – surpassed). Williams started his coaching career as a wide receivers coach and math teacher at Brookside Christian (Stockton, Calif.) High School from 1997-99, before moving to the college ranks in 2000 at Solano (Fairfield, Calif.) Community College.
Williams played wideout for San Diego State (1991-93), including the 1991 Freedom Bowl team, while also competing on the the Aztecs' track & field team, finishing with a bronze medal (10.31) in the 100m at the Western Athletic Conference Outdoor Track & Field Championships. He earned his bachelor's degree in public administration in 1996.
Following his college career, Williams signed an NFL rookie free agent contract with Washington in 1994 where he competed in training camp/preseason, before playing for the Frankfurt Galaxy of the World League of American Football in the spring of 1995 and then the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League from 1995-96.
Williams attended Tokay (Lodi, Calif.) High School, where he excelled in football (wide receiver and safety), basketball and track & field, earning All-San Joaquin County Section honors in both football and track. He holds the 100m (10.44) and 200m (21.2) records at Tokay. Williams and his wife, Ayana, have a son, Keyan, who played wide receiver at Ball State, Nebraska and Fresno State and who served as an offensive assistant with the wideouts at the University of Missouri, and a daughter, Kaya, who played soccer at Jacksonville University and Lamar University. Kaya is currently working towards her master's degree at Lamar while serving as a strength and conditioning intern for the athletics program.
PLAYING CAREER: San Diego State, 1991-93; Washington Redskins, 1994; Frankfurt Galaxy (WLAF) 1995; Saskatchewan Roughriders (CFL), 1995-96.
COACHING CAREER: Brookside Christian High School, 1997-99; Solano Community College, 2000; San Jose State, 2001-04; San Jose City College, 2005-08; Fresno State, 2009-11; Tulane, 2012-14; Nebraska, 2015-17; San Antonio Commanders (AAF), 2019; Baltimore Ravens, 2021-23; New Orleans Saints, 2024-.
