Florida Hires L.A. Chargers' Will Harris as Secondary Coach
Photo: Will Harris; Credit: Georgia Southern Athletics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida has hired Los Angeles Chargers' assistant defensive backs coach Will Harris to oversee the Gators' secondary, the program announced Monday.
Harris, 36, will replace Corey Raymond, who coached Florida's cornerbacks in 2022 and then the Gators' entire secondary in 2023, over the first two years of head coach Billy Napier's tenure, until his Nov. 27 firing.
"I'm very excited to be joining the University of Florida Football Program and such a dedicated and passionate staff," Harris said via release from UF. "It's an honor, and I look forward to contributing to the legacy of excellence and the rich tradition that this program is known for."
The terms of Harris' contract with UF were not made immediately available.
Harris oversaw the Chargers' cornerback position alongside Los Angeles defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley over the first 14 weeks of the 2023 season, Harris' first as an assistant at the NFL level.
Although Los Angeles passing defense's 261.9 passing yards allowed per game ranks a disheartening No. 29 in the NFL this year, individual contributors at Harris' position have been productive. Cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. leads the Chargers with two interceptions and 10 pass breakups, and corner Michael Davis follows him in both categories with one and eight, respectively.
In two games before being traded to New England, cornerback J.C. Jackson also tallied an interception and three defended passes.
Before his jump to the pros, Harris was a fast climber of the collegiate coaching ranks, having ascended from first-time assistant in 2013 to the position of defensive coordinator for Georgia Southern in 2022. The Eagles posted 11 interceptions and 65 pass breakups in Harris' scheme.
Harris' most notable work arguably came just before his rise to play-caller, over his four seasons with Washington as the Huskies' assistant defensive backs coach from 2018-19 and primary defensive backs coach from 2020-21.
Washington's pass defense never ranked lower than No. 3 in the Pac-12 with Harris influencing the development of its players. As the Huskies' lead secondary coach, the team finished No. 1 in the conference in pass defense in back-to-back years.
Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon earned All-Pac 12 first-team honors to conclude Harris' final season in Seattle, after combining for 13 pass breakups in 2021. McDuffie was selected in the first round of the following NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, with Gordon following closely behind, picked in the second round by the Chicago Bears.
McDuffie also received third-team All-American recognition from the Associated Press in 2021, marking the fourth consecutive season in which a Washington defensive back was named an All-American, all of which were coached by Harris in some capacity. Cornerback Elijah Molden earned second-team honors in 2019 and 2020, and cornerback Byron Murphy and safety Taylor Rapp were named second-teamers in 2018.
Harris credits rapper, actor and media personality, Snoop Dogg, for convincing him to enter the coaching realm after his playing career, while Harris was training to become a firefighter in Los Angeles and conducting football training for local, youth athletes.
The two met originally during Harris' playing days at Southern California and re-connected several years later when Harris trained Snoop Dogg's son, Cordell Broadus, who eventually signed with UCLA as a wide receiver before breaking into the entertainment industry.
"He was like, 'Use me as a reference,' and literally that's how I got my first job." Harris told Chargers.com in July, referencing his 2013 hiring at the Division II level of college football. "They called Snoop and were like, 'Anybody that can have Snoop call me back, you've got a job.' "
Find Harris' full coaching history below.
- 2023: Los Angeles Chargers (NFL) – Assistant Secondary
- 2022: Georgia Southern – Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
- 2020-2021: Washington – Defensive Backs
- 2018-2019: Washington – Assistant Defensive Backs
- 2016-17: San Jose State – Defensive Backs
- 2015: Dixie State – Defensive Backs
- 2014: Humboldt State – Secondary
- 2013: Northwestern Oklahoma State – Secondary
Editor's note: Harris' coaching history list has been updated to include his two-year stint at San Jose State, which was previously omitted. All Gators apologizes for this error.
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