AUBURN | Bryan Harsin is building an entirely new culture within Auburn’s football program and started that out by hiring an almost entirely new staff.
The lone holdover was Carnell Williams, who served on Gus Malzahn’s staff for two years before Malzahn was let go in December. Known as Cadillac, he’s also one of the Tigers’ all-time great running backs.
“With me being a guy who played here, who loves Auburn, it’s kind of twofold for me,” said Williams. “Where you truly want the best for Auburn, but at the same time, not knowing your future with Auburn was kind of nerve racking.
“But thank God coach Harsin. I think it was a great hire, gave me an opportunity to come back and to continue to have an impact.”
Williams is excited about the changes that Harsin has brought into the program, starting with winter workouts and how he’s interacted with the players.
“Wow, I think the future is bright,” said Williams. “He’s a hard-nosed coach who believes in discipline, who believes in just building young men, not only on the field but also off the field. I just think his structure and the way he goes about things, he is demanding but not demeaning.
“And I think our team honestly has accepted that with flying colors. These guys want to be pushed. These guys want a plan in place that they can get on and back to the Auburn winning ways.”
Of course, Williams is also excited about how Harsin and new offensive coordinator Mike Bobo have featured running backs in their offense. While Cadillac’s running back room is short on numbers this spring, it’s not short on talent including Tank Bigsby, Shaun Shivers and Devan Barrett.
“I think in the past, we were a physical running team,” Williams said. “But I truly think that we are going to be able to have the ability to get up under center a little more and … run some power. Get downhill. Man, we're gonna run the football. We're gonna come off the ball flying. These backs are gonna get downhill.”
Williams also expects AU’s running backs to become more involved in the passing game under Harsin and Bobo.
“To play in this offense, you’re going to need to be a complete back because one of the better mismatches on the field is a linebacker against a running back,” Williams said. “So I think Coach Harsin and Coach Bobo in this offense are going to do a good job exploiting that matchup. For the most part, everybody in that room actually has pretty good hands. Now, it’s just those guys developing into running routes and understanding the whole pass game part of it.”
Williams counts it as a blessing that he’s returning to coach the running backs after most of the rest of Malzahn’s former staff is now scattered across the country at different programs.
“It honestly came down to him knowing that I wanted to be here at Auburn and I wanted to make that step and that I was on board with turning this thing around and buying in and being a guy that was not going to be bigger than Auburn,” Williams said. “Because I know I have this Cadillac name, but at the end of the day I am a humble guy.
“My relationship with these players and with what this school means to me, I’m willing to do everything I can to get this program back to winning championships. I think he felt that vibe from me. I think that’s something that made the biggest difference.”
Auburn resumes spring practice Monday afternoon.
