J.D. Williams is the new Fresno State defensive backs coach. He coached cornerbacks at UNLV from 2015-16, with past stops including Georgia State, Utah, Washington, Cal, San Jose State, Cal Poly and Fresno State, where he also played cornerback from 1986-89.
J.D. Williams is the new Fresno State defensive backs coach. He coached cornerbacks at UNLV from 2015-16, with past stops including Georgia State, Utah, Washington, Cal, San Jose State, Cal Poly and Fresno State, where he also played cornerback from 1986-89. AARON MAYES UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS
J.D. Williams is the new Fresno State defensive backs coach. He coached cornerbacks at UNLV from 2015-16, with past stops including Georgia State, Utah, Washington, Cal, San Jose State, Cal Poly and Fresno State, where he also played cornerback from 1986-89. AARON MAYES UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA LAS VEGAS

Fresno State Football

Jeff Tedford adds six to Fresno State football staff

The Fresno Bee

December 06, 2016 10:05 AM

Fresno State football coach Jeff Tedford brought back three former Bulldogs and added two staff members with ties to archrival Boise State among his first six hires for the program.

Ex-Bulldogs J.D. Williams (cornerback, 1986-89), Jamie Christian (fullback, 1991-93) and Scott Thompson (tight end, 1995-98) are among four assistants and two administrative staff members announced Tuesday by the university.

Williams will coach defensive backs and Christian the running backs and special teams. Both were at UNLV this past season.

Thompson, who was at USC, will coach tight ends. The other new assistant is Boise State alum Kirby Moore (wide receivers).

Spencer Harris and Brian Wilkinson were hired as directors of player personnel and football operations, respectively.

Two of the hires come from Washington, where Tedford was an offensive consultant before being hired as Fresno State coach in November.

New Fresno State coach Jeff Tedford discusses the challenges ahead in rebuilding a Bulldogs football program that finished 1-11 overall in 2016. Bryant-Jon Anteolabjanteola@fresnobee.com

Tedford, who chose not to retain any coaches from last season, was on the road recruiting and not available to discuss the hires or how the program would proceed entering a dead period from Dec. 12 through Jan. 11.

Christian spent the past two seasons as running backs coach at UNLV. In his sophomore season at Fresno State in 1992, Tedford – an ex-Fresno State quarterback – joined the Bulldogs as an assistant.

Moore was a graduate assistant for Washington this year. He played four seasons at Boise State, where his older brother Kellen starred at quarterback. Both were on the Boise State team that defeated Texas Christian in the Fiesta Bowl in 2010.

Thompson coached tight ends and special teams at USC this season. In 2015, he was the Trojans’ director of scouting and high school relations. Tedford was the offensive coordinator in three of Thompson’s seasons as a player at Fresno State.

Williams was the cornerbacks coach for UNLV the past two seasons. He coached the secondary at Fresno State in 2000 and 2001. After his four-year run as a Bulldogs player, Williams was a 1990 first-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills. He played in the NFL from 1990 to 1996

Harris had been on Washington’s staff since 2012, most recently as assistant director of player personnel.

Wilkinson comes from USA Football, where he was operations director. He was Boise State’s director of football operations in 2014 and 2015.

Here are some highlights from the former Bulldog's resume. Aleksandra KonstantinovicThe Fresno Bee

Fresno State staff

Assistants and other hires announced Tuesday by new Bulldogs coach Jeff Tedford:

  • Jamie Christian (running backs/special teams)
  • Kirby Moore (wide receivers)
  • Scott Thompson (tight ends)
  • J.D. Williams (defensive backs)
  • Spencer Harris (director of player personnel)
  • Brian Wilkinson (director of football operations)

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