Auburn fires wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams
AUBURN – In a shocking move, Bryan Harsin has fired a member of his first staff at Auburn only four games into the season.
Sources have confirmed to Auburn Live that Cornelius Williams, who arrived at Auburn after six seasons at Troy, has been fired after Auburn’s 34-24 win over Georgia State. The first-year Auburn receivers coach received the news on Sunday afternoon.
Terms of Williams’ contract (Two years, $600k signed in January) are pretty standard. Williams is owed a buyout by Auburn of the remainder of his deal, but that figure can be mitigated if Williams takes another coaching job.
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Eric Kiesau is set to take over as Auburn’s wide receivers coach, sources told On3 Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Kiesau has been an analyst on the Tigers staff after four seasons working under Harsin at Boise State, including as the OC last year.
Williams, who has spent the previous six years coaching wide receivers at Troy, was in his first season at Auburn. He won four Sun Belt championships and helped lead Troy to three bowl games as a player, was also the passing game coordinator at his alma mater the last two seasons.
Auburn’s wide receivers have been the topic of conversation this season, as inconsistency has plagued the position. Harsin has harped on the lack of consistency and overall development from the position during media appearances. Why Cornelius Williams was let go four games into the season remains to be seen.
Williams said this summer, “the biggest thing for me is the challenge. Every single day, you know there’s going to be a challenge. You’ve got to go in there and compete and be your best. I love that. That’s what really drives me.
“I know I have to continue to work to get better to be the best I can possibly be and that’s an everyday challenge to make sure I’m prepared and staying on top of everything, and make sure that my guys are doing the same.”
Auburn Live will continue to monitor the situation and bring the latest news when it happens.
