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| Photo by Ashtin Elder for Illinois Wesleyan athletics |
Jared Williamson will return to the place where his coaching career began as he has been selected as the next Illinois Wesleyan University head football coach, athletic director Mike Wagner announced Thursday, Jan. 2. Williamson comes to Bloomington after 15 seasons at the helm of the Roosevelt University football program. He is the 17th head football coach in IWU history and just the third since 1954. A formal introductory press conference will be held Thursday, Jan. 9.
"We are thrilled to welcome Jared and his family back home to Illinois Wesleyan," Wagner said. "As we took each step in the hiring process, he quickly rose to the top with his passion, experience, vision, and love for Illinois Wesleyan. I was on the football coaching staff when Jared began his coaching career at IWU, and even then I was impressed with his knowledge of the game and the relationships he built with our Titan student-athletes. Now, returning with more than a decade of experience as a head coach and who he is as a person, I am confident that he is the right person to lead the Titan football program, both on and off the field."
"I appreciate the incredible effort that Mike Wagner and his staff put into finding the right person to be our Head Football Coach and I believe that they have a great fit for Illinois Wesleyan in Jared Williamson," Illinois Wesleyan president Sheahon Zenger said. "Jared understands the importance of the history and tradition of his role, this program, and our university and we look forward to seeing him continue that success far into the future."
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Zenger, Mike Wagner, and the rest of the staff, alumni, player council, and athletic administration for the privilege of engaging with them throughout the interview process," Williamson shared. "I also want to extend a special thank you to Coach Eash for giving me my first coaching opportunity and for allowing me to learn and grow under his leadership and the outstanding staff he assembled during my previous years coaching at IWU."
No stranger to Titan football, Williamson served on staff at Illinois Wesleyan under coach Norm Eash from 2006 until 2010. After two years as a graduate assistant coach, Williamson was IWU's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for his final two seasons. During that time, he helped guide the Titans to the 2007 and 2009 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship. The 2009 season was a special one for the Green and White, as Illinois Wesleyan posted 10 wins and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoff before finishing the year ranked ninth nationally.
"I am truly excited to continue the proud traditions of Titan football, knowing that the student-athletes at Illinois Wesleyan University receive not only a nationally-recognized education but also a one-of-a-kind social experience," Williamson added. "They become part of one of the most successful and passionate alumni networks in the country. Being a Titan is something truly special, a distinction made possible by the hard work, dedication, and genuine care of so many people who have shaped the success of this campus and community. Myself, Kelsey, and our children are looking forward to calling Bloomington-Normal home again, the place where our family began 17 years ago."
Williamson was hired in June 2010 and was tasked with building the Robert Morris University (Illinois) football program from the ground up, serving as the only coach the NAIA program ever knew, before transitioning the program to Division II as part of the institution's merger with Roosevelt University in 2020. For the past five seasons, Williamson has led the Lakers as a member of one of Division II's premier conferences, the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, after leaving the NAIA level ranked 10th in wins amongst active head coaches at the time. Over the course of his 15-year tenure in the Windy City, Williamson compiled a career record of 73-68.
Through building a program from scratch and then seeing it through a transition, Williamson guided his teams to two league championships and garnered top-25 rankings in nine out of their 13 seasons at the NAIA level. Williamson's teams posted 15 wins against NAIA and NCAA top-25 opponents and three victories over top-five programs.
On the field, his players have accumulated a number of postseason accolades, including more than 152 All-League selections, eight All-American honorees, six NAIA National Player of the Week awards, 47 Mid-States Football Association Conference Player of the Week awards, and two MSFA Conference Player of the Year selections. Williamson has been named Conference Coach of the Year twice (2012 & 2016).
Away from on-field competition, Williamson's teams have excelled in the classroom. He has coached more than 150 academic all-conference selections, 71 NAIA Scholar-Athlete honorees, and 11 Academic All-America award recipients. In 2013, Williamson coached running back Lamont Wims to Capital One College Division Academic All-America of the Year honors. Two years later, his 2015 squad was recognized as an NAIA Scholar Team after posting a team cumulative grade point average of 3.04.
Williamson earned his undergraduate degree in secondary education as a double major in social science and physical education from Maryville State University in North Dakota. A three-time captain of the Comets football team from 2001 to 2006, Williamson set the single-season passing records for total yards, completions, and touchdowns. As a three-year starter for MSU, he was a two-time All-Dakota Athletic Conference quarterback. He later earned his master's degree from Illinois State University in 2007.