Florida is hiring Los Angeles Chargers’ assistant defensive back coach Will Harris to fill their secondary coach vacancy, Gator Country has learned from multiple sources. Harris joined the Chargers in 2023 after serving as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at Georgia Southern University in 2022.
Under Harris’ direction, Georgia Southern’s defense ranked 129th in total defense, 109th in scoring defense, and 104th in passing defense in his one year with the Eagles. Harris’ unit ranked No. 12 in the nation in red-zone defense and four Eagles defenders earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
Prior to his one year stop at Georgia Southern, Harris spent four seasons (2018-21) at the University of Washington working with their secondary unit. In his final season with the Huskies, Harris’ guided Washington to the No.1 pass defense in the FBS, allowing just 143.3 passing yards per game and six passing touchdowns on the season, the fewest by any team in the country. Following this season, Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie was drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft, earning a third-team All-America selection for his dominant 2021 season.
Washington’s pass defense was a strength under Harris, with their lowest ranking coming in 2019 (55th), where the Huskies had three true freshmen start at least five games in the secondary. The Huskies ranked 12th in 2020 and 25th in 2018 under Harris. In three of his four years in Seattle, Washington’s pass defense ranked inside the top 25 in the FBS. Washington’s coverage grade ranked inside the top 14 in each of Harris’ four seasons, including three top ten and two No.2 finishes, according to Pro Football Focus.
Harris also had collegiate coaching stops at San Jose State (2016-17), Dixie State University (2015), Humboldt State (2014), and Northwestern Oklahoma State University (2013), working with defensive backs at each of those programs.
The Pasadena, Calif. native played college ball for the University of Southern California (2005-09), where the Trojans appeared in four-straight Rose Bowls, including the 2005 BCS National Championship Game against Texas, winning each of the final three. As a junior, Harris appeared in 13 games as a defensive back and totaled 69 tackles and four interceptions as a senior. Harris would go on to spend training camp in 2010 with the Seattle Seahawks before joining the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League.
Will Harris is expected to be on the recruiting trail on Monday, Gator Country has learned.