New Troy coach Neal Brown hires UAB wide receivers coach

New Troy coach Neal Brown has made his first staff hire in Alabama-Birmingham wide receivers coach Cornelius Williams, per a source.

Williams, 27, played wide receiver for the Trojans from 2006-09 when Brown was an assistant. During their last season together, Troy was third nationally in total offense.

UAB announced Tuesday that it is shutting down its football program. Before working for the Blazers, Williams was an assistant at Jacksonville State, North Alabama, Murray State and South Alabama.

He joins Brown in trying to revamp a Troy program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2010. The Trojans went 3-9 last season under Larry Blakeney, who announced his retirement in October.

The 34-year-old Brown was introduced as Troy’s new coach Monday. He is the second-youngest head coach in the FBS behind Western Michigan’s P.J. Fleck and was previously Kentucky’s offensive coordinator for two seasons.

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