Hugh Freeze wasted no time in identifying Auburn’s next defensive line coach after reports emerged on Feb. 2 that Jeremy Garrett would be joining the Jacksonville Jaguars. Just five days later, it seems Freeze has decided to promote Vontrell King-Williams from within the program, advancing him from defensive analyst to defensive line coach. The news of King-Williams’ promotion was first reported by Brian Stultz of Auburn Rivals on Wednesday afternoon.
This promotion follows King-Williams’ tenure under Garrett during the 2023 season at Auburn. Prior to that, King-Williams coached defensive tackles at Eastern Michigan. He also served as a graduate assistant under Freeze at Liberty from 2020 to 2021, with a focus on the defensive line.
With King-Williams now officially Auburn’s defensive line coach, it appears that the defensive staff for the 2024 season is set, featuring new additions in defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin and co-defensive coordinator Charles Kelly. Joining them are returning coaches Josh Aldridge (linebackers) and Wesley McGriff (secondary), alongside the newly promoted King-Williams.
Former Auburn defensive lineman Marcus Harris expressed approval of King-Williams’ promotion on Wednesday through a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. King-Williams’ coaching journey also includes a stint as a defensive line intern at his alma mater, the University of Texas at San Antonio, during the 2017 season.
Originally from Chicago, King-Williams began his collegiate playing career at the University of Illinois before transferring to Butler Community College for one year and ultimately finishing at UTSA. During his time at UTSA, he played in 25 games and recorded 17 tackles over two seasons.
