HAMPTON UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL HU loses one of top assistants

Williams taking linebackers coach job at Austin Peay

Hampton head coach Robert Prunty will kick off the new year by filling a hole on his staff.

Co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brandon Williams is leaving Hampton to become the new linebackers coach at Austin Peay State University, the Governors’ official X account announced Friday.

“Brandon did a great job for us,” Prunty told The Pilot on Friday night. “I’m happy for him and his family, and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Williams, who joined the Hampton coaching staff in 2019, was one of Prunty’s longest-tenured assistant coaches. He came to Hampton after a stint at East Carolina, his alma mater, where he worked with the defensive line, was a quality control advisor and assisted with on-campus recruiting efforts.

Prunty and Williams overlapped at ECU when Prunty was the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2018 and Williams was his graduate assistant.

“He was a grad assistant of mine at East Carolina and he’d been here ever since I’ve been here, for six years,” Prunty said. “He did a good job for me and I’m happy for him.”

Prior to coaching at ECU, Williams was a four-year letterman there from 2011-2014. He was a captain and received All-American Athletic Conference honors.

Williams joins an Austin Peay program that will be under new direction in 2024. Jeff Farris was named the Governors’ head coach in December, coming to Austin Peay after a two-year stint as tight ends coach at UCLA. New Austin Peay defensive coordinator Tripp Weaver logged two coaching stints at ECU, one during Williams’ playing days from 20122013 and from 2020-2023.

Michael Sauls, michael.sauls@ virginiamedia.com, 757-803-5774