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Arkansas fires defensive coordinator Travis Williams

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko9 hours agonickkosko59
USATSI_24293985 (1)
Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Arkansas fired defensive coordinator Travis Williams, per On3’s Pete Nakos, further shaking up the football staff. Williams was in the middle of his third season with the program.

The assistant coach was let go amid the firing of head coach Sam Pittman. The school named Bobby Petrino the interim head coach as the Razorbacks go into Week 6 at 2-3 following a 56-13 home loss to Notre Dame.

Williams began his coaching career in 2009 at Auburn, where he spent three seasons as a grad assistant. He then became the linebacker’s coach at Northern Iowa in 2012.

Following that season, Williams went on to coach Creekside High School in Georgia as the defensive coordinator. After just one year, he returned to Auburn as a defensive analyst for two years before transitioning to linebackers.

In 2019, Williams was named Auburn’s co-defensive coordinator and linebacker’s coach for three seasons. In 2021, he reunited with former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn at UCF as the team’s defensive coordinator for two seasons.

After that, he was hired by Pittman at Arkansas where he spent the last seasons. Williams had a solid playing career too.

An Auburn linebacker, Williams was twice named to Second-Team All-SEC in 2004 and ’05 and was a member of Auburn’s All-Decade Team. Williams played one season in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 before transitioning to coaching.

Arkansas was Pittman’s first Division I head coaching job after spending a majority of his career as an offensive line coach. He previously worked at Georgia from 2016-19, including his final year as assistant head coach in addition to working with the offensive line. From 2013-15, he held the same roles at Arkansas under Bret Bielema.

Pittman also had one of the more unique buyouts in college football, as On3’s Pete Nakos detailed. His contract states that if he’s .500 or above since 2021, the Razorbacks would owe him roughly $9.8 million, which is 75% of Pittman’s remaining salary. He was 29-27 since 2021.