Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

James Willis

Christopher Smith

By Christopher Smith

Last Updated:

An Auburn product, James Willis returned to coaching following a seven-year NFL career and a stint in the XFL. After a stint as a student and graduate assistant at Auburn, he became linebackers coach at Rhode Island and Temple before returning to the Tigers under Tommy Tuberville and defensive coordinator Will Muschamp in 2006.

Though Gene Chizik hired Willis back after Tuberville resigned, Nick Saban hired him away as the associate head coach and outside linebackers coach for Alabama in 2009. The Crimson Tide beat Texas in the 2010 BCS Championship in Willis’ lone season in Tuscaloosa.

Willis since re-joined Tuberville as the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech, then left coaching for two seasons before becoming the Louisiana-Lafayette defensive coordinator in 2013.

Christopher Smith

An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.

You might also like...

man holding a football

Read our Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, Cookie Policy and

© 2025 Saturday Down South. All rights reserved

We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. We support responsible gambling. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). global.footer.legal