Will Harris has been hired to join the Washington football staff as its 10th assistant coach, working with the defensive backs, head coach Chris Petersen announced today.
Harris comes to the UW after spending the last two seasons at San Jose State. He joins the Huskies thanks to the new NCAA rule that allows FBS coaching staffs to employ 10 full-time assistant coaches – an increase over the previous maximum of nine, which has been the rule for decades.
“Will is an excellent, young coach who I think will fit our team and our culture well,” Petersen said. “We’re excited to have him join our staff.”
Harris spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons as the defensive backs coach at San Jose State, working under head coach Brent Brennan, a former UW graduate assistant coach. At San Jose State, he coached cornerback Jermaine Kelly, a transfer who began his career at Washington, and Trevon Bierria, the younger brother of UW linebacker Keishawn Bierria, among others.
This past season, Harris’ secondary at SJSU included three senior starters, two of whom have been invited to play in postseason, senior all-star games.
In 2016, his first season in San Jose, he coached first-team All-Mountain West Conference cornerback Andre Chachere and honorable mention selection safety Maurice McKnight. In between his two seasons at SJSU, he participated in the National Football League’s summer internship coaching program with the Oakland Raiders.
Harris spent the 2015 season as defensive backs coach at Dixie State College in St. George, Utah. He coached DB Colton Olson to first-team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors in his lone season with the Trailblazers.
Harris coached the secondary at Humboldt State in 2014. The Lumberbacks ranked in the top 10 nationally in total defense and No. 19 in pass defense. Three Humboldt defensive backs earned All-GNAC honors.
In 2013, Harris coached the secondary at Northwestern Oklahoma State in Alva, Okla.,
Prior to that, Harris spent time coaching in the Snoop League in Southern California, at Fullerton College and at Diamond Bar (Calif.) High School.
After completing his collegiate playing career at USC, Harris spent some time in the Seahawks camp and played for the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League.
A highly-recruited athlete (league MVP in both football and basketball) from Charter Oak High in Covina, Calif., Harris started his USC career in 2005, seeing time at cornerback as a true freshman. USC went 12-1 that season, losing only to Texas in a memorable Rose Bowl showdown.
After redshirting the 2006 season due to injury, Harris returned to the field in 2007, playing safety in 10 games, helping the Trojans to an 11-2 record, capped by a win over Illinois in the Rose Bowl. In 2008, he played in all 13 games on a Trojans squad that finished 12-1 and beat Penn State in the Rose Bowl, finishing No. 3 in the final AP top 25.
As a senior in 2009, Harris started at safety, finishing the season with 69 tackles and four interceptions in coach Pete Carroll’s final season with the Trojans.
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