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A coaching veteran of over 37 years spanning high school though the NCAA Division I Power Four level, Jesse Williams took over as the defensive line coach for Emporia State in teh summer of 2026.
 
He spent last season as the defensive coordinator for Booker T. Washington HS in Tulsa, Okla.  The Hornets went 7-4 last season with three shutouts.
 
Prior to his time at Booker T. Washington, he was on collegiate coaching staffs for 37 years. Most recently he spent two seasons as the defensive line coach at Central Michigan. In his two years with the Chippewas, the defense accumulated 51 sacks and 150 tackles for loss.
  
Williams arrived at Central Michigan after spending two years at Tulsa. He joined the Golden Hurricane coaching staff in February 2021 as defensive line coach and added the title of run game coordinator in January 2022.
  
In 2021, Williams coached a Tulsa defensive front that ranked 48th nationally in rushing defense at 142.3 rushing yards per game. His linemen combined to total 196 tackles, 41 tackles for loss and 17.5 quarterback sacks.
 
He spent the 2019 season at Eastern Kentucky. He coached FCS first-team All-American and Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Patrick. He was part of a coaching staff in 2019 that helped EKU’s defense finish second in the OVC in points allowed, second in total defense, second in rushing defense and third in passing defense. .
 
Before his time at EKU, Williams spent two seasons as the defensive line coach at the University of Kansas.  Under Williams’ guidance, defensive tackle Daniel Wise twice earned first-team All-Big 12 honors for the Jayhawks.  He recorded 16 tackles-for-loss, including seven sacks in 2017. He ranked second in the Big 12 in tackles for a loss and 11th in the FBS rankings.
 
Williams arrived at Kansas after spending five seasons as the defensive line coach at Ohio.  The 2016 Bobcat defense produced 104 tackles-for-loss, manufactured 44 sacks and held opponents to 104.4 yards rushing per game.  Williams’ defensive line accounted for 59.5 of the tackles for a loss and 31.5 sacks.

Williams tutored the 2016 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Defensive Player of the Year Tarell Basham to a team-high 11.5 sacks. In 2013, Williams directed a defensive line that accounted for 36 sacks, which tied for 20th in the country and ranked second in the MAC. In his first season at Ohio, Williams led a defensive line unit that combined for 249 tackles, 39 tackles-for-loss and 14.5 sacks on a team that played in and won the 2012 Independence Bowl.
 
Williams began his career as the defensive line coach at his alma mater NCAA Division II Sonoma State from 1988-91 before going to Portland State from 1992-94, and then to Eastern Washington in 1995.  He left the West Coast for the first time as the defensive line coach at Holy Cross from 1996-97. In 1998 he served as defensive end coach at San Jose State before a nine year run at Colorado State. He spent 2007 and 2008 at Neb.-Kearney and was on the staff at New Mexico State from 2009-11 before joining Ohio’s coaching staff. In addition to the defensive line/defensive ends, Williams also served as the special team’s coordinator at Neb.-Kearney, Eastern Washington, Holy Cross and San Jose State.
 
Williams was a part of 11 bowl game appearances: the 1999, 2000 and 2002 Liberty Bowl, 2001 New Orleans Bowl, 2003 San Francisco, and the 2005 Poinsettia Bowl  while at Colorado State; the 2012 Independence Bowl, 2013 Beef O’Brady Bowl, 2015 Camellia Bowl, and 2016 Dollar General Bowl with Ohio; and 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl at Tulsa.

Williams and his wife, Felicia, have three sons, Jessien, Jesse III and Albert.