Florida State made the first new addition to its coaching staff on Monday. The new guy was Nick Williams, who the Seminoles hired as their new edge coach.
A former player at Georgia, Williams began his coaching career as a student assistant at with the Bulldogs in 2018, and he’s helped elevate a number of programs with his talents throughout the years. As the new edge coach for the Seminoles, Williams will tag team with Terrance Knighton as he will guide the interior defensive line. FSU showed improvement under defensive coordinator Tony White in 2025, and Williams can only help with the product on the field.
Here five things to know about Williams as his coaching career with the Seminoles begins.
1. Helped Georgia become one of the best defenses in college football
Williams was on Georgia’s staff from 2018 to 2020 as a student assistant and a graduate assistant. During that time, the Bulldogs led the nation in rushing defense in back-to-back seasons (2019, 2020), and they also led in scoring defense one year (2019).
2. Has a reputation for being a good recruiter and developer of talent
While Williams was at Texas A&M, the Aggies landed the No. 8 recruiting class in 2021, which was highlighted by blue-chip defensive lineman Shemar Turner. A season later, Texas A&M ended up with the top recruiting class in the nation, and a sizable amount of blue-chip prospects were on the defensive line as well. Williams also helped Georgia land the No. 1 recruiting classes in 2018 and 2020, and they finished with the No. 2 class in 2019.
Williams had a hand in developing edge Travon Walker while he was at Georgia, and he ended up being the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NFL draft for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Also, he worked with Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, and Devonte Wyatt at Georgia, who all ended up being first-round selections. Also, Williams worked hands-on with edge Fadil Diggs during his time at Syracuse where he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors and was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 draft.
3. Coaching experience in several different conferences
Williams cut his teeth in the SEC with Georgia for three years, and then two more with Texas A&M. In 2023, he went to the Big 12 as he coached the defensive line at Colorado during the first year of Deion Sanders as their head coach. In 2024 and 2025, Williams would further build his resume in the ACC with Syracuse, and he’ll continue that in 2026 and beyond with Florida State.
4. Grew up very close to Tallahassee
Williams grew up in Bainbridge, Georgia. That’s about 45 minutes or so from Tallahassee, Florida. South Georgia has always been a spot where Florida State has focused a lot their recruiting efforts, and with Williams on board, that should continue in a major way.
5. Always wanted to be a member of FSU’s program
During his younger days, Williams watched legendary Seminoles like former Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, Warrick Dunn, and Peter Warrick. After he was hired, Williams also talked about admiring the dominant defenses that FSU had during the 1990s under Mickey Andrews, and he mentioned being inside Doak Campbell Stadium as a kid with his father.
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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Five things to know about FSU’s new edge coach Nick Williams
Reporting by Matthew Lenix , FSU Wire / FSU Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
