On Monday afternoon, the Miami Hurricanes announced 2 hires to the football coaching staff. First, Travis “T-Will” Williams was announced as the Inside Linebackers coach. Then, Bob Shoop was announced as a Defensive Analyst.

Williams joins the Miami staff after spending the last 5 seasons coaching at his alma mater, Auburn. A dogged recruiter and solid developer, Williams is another SEC coach on Miami’s staff this year, joining Travaris “T-Rob” Robinson and Manny Diaz, who once coordinated the defense at Mississippi State.

Adding another veteran voice to the coaching staff will be long-time coach Bob Shoop. Shoop has been a full-time coach since 1991, and has previously coordinated defenses at William & Mary, Villanova, Vanderbilt, Penn State, Tennessee, and Mississippi State. He will be yet-another voice in the building to help guide Miami forward in the 2021 season.

Here are the releases from Miami Athletics on both announced hirings:

Williams:

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Travis Williams, who spent the past five seasons as linebackers coach at Auburn, will join the Miami Hurricanes staff as inside linebackers coach, head coach Manny Diaz announced Monday. Williams’ hire is pending completion of a standard University background check.

“We are thrilled to welcome Travis and his family to Miami,” Diaz said. “He has had tremendous success both playing and coaching the linebacker position and I’m excited about the knowledge and passion he will bring to our linebackers group.”

Williams was promoted to linebackers coach at Auburn, his alma mater, prior to the 2016 season after holding various roles on the Tigers’ football support staff.

This past season Auburn linebacker Zakoby McClain ranked first in the SEC with 113 tackles, while fellow linebacker Owen Pappoe posted 93 stops, ranking eighth in the conference. In 2019, Auburn’s defense ranked eighth nationally in both red zone and third-down defense, allowing only 19.5 points per game against a schedule that featured six opponents who won 11 games.

The 2018 Auburn defense ranked 14th nationally in scoring defense (19.2) and allowed only nine rushing touchdowns. The Tigers ranked in the top 20 nationally in sacks (38) and TFL (96) and were ninth nationally with three interception returns for touchdowns. Top tackler Deshaun Davis, a first team all-SEC honoree, was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals and Darrell Williams signed with the New Orleans Saints.

In 2017, SEC West champion Auburn ranked 14th in total defense and 12th in scoring defense, allowing just 4.67 yards per play, eighth best nationally. Senior linebacker Tre’ Williams earned second team all-SEC honors.

In 2016, the Tigers ranked seventh nationally in scoring defense, 11th in red zone defense and 28th in total defense, an improvement of 43 spots over the previous season, and held eight consecutive opponents without a rushing TD, the longest season streak at Auburn since 1957.

Williams signed with Auburn in 2001, redshirted his first season and then lettered the next four, earning All-SEC honors in 2004 and 2005. He led Auburn in tackles (80) during the 2004 undefeated season; he was second in tackles in 2005 (68) and third in 2003 (67). He won the Pat Dye Leadership Award on defense in 2004 and 2005.

Williams played for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, before beginning his coaching career at his high school alma mater, Spring Valley (S.C.) High School, as a volunteer assistant.

Williams returned to Auburn in 2009 as a defensive graduate assistant, and was part of Auburn’s 2010 national championship season. After coaching stops at Northern Iowa and Creekside (Ga.) High School, Williams came back to Auburn in 2014 as a defensive analyst. He served as an on-field coach on defense in preparations for Auburn’s 2015 Outback Bowl and 2015 Birmingham Bowl appearances.

Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from Auburn in 2005, and received a master’s degree in adult education from Auburn in 2011.

A native of Columbia, S.C., Williams and his wife Jeanine, an Auburn graduate, have three daughters: Tru, Reign and Brave.

Shoop:

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Miami Hurricanes completed their defensive coaching staff by hiring Bob Shoop as Defensive Quality Control Coach, head coach Manny Diaz announced Monday.

Shoop, a 32-year college coaching veteran, is the former head coach at Columbia and has served as defensive coordinator at three Power 5 programs. He most recently coached safeties at Michigan.

“Bob is a two-time Broyles Award finalist who has coordinated the defense at multiple schools and also has experience as a head coach,” Diaz said. “We are excited to add someone with his level of expertise to our defensive staff.”

Shoop spent the 2020 season in Ann Arbor after two seasons as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State. He also served as the defensive coordinator at William & Mary (2007-10), Vanderbilt (2011-13), Penn State (2014-15) and Tennessee (2016-17).

In 2019, Mississippi State’s defense led the SEC with 14 fumble recoveries (fourth nationally) and picked off 10 passes to rank second in the conference in turnovers (24). In 2018, Shoop was a Broyles Award finalist and was named FootballScoop Defensive Coordinator of the Year as the Bulldogs were the only defense FBS to finish top-10 in all four major defensive categories (total defense, scoring defense, rushing defense, and passing defense). MSU allowed only 12 touchdowns all season, the fewest allowed by any FBS team since 2011.

Shoop helped produce three 2019 first-round NFL Draft picks in Jeffrey Simmons (19th), Montez Sweat (26th) and Johnathan Abram (30th). Over his last 12 seasons, he has coached 20 NFL Draft picks with four at MSU, five at Tennessee, five at Penn State, three at Vanderbilt and three at William & Mary.

In 2014 at Penn State Shoop was named 247Sports’ Defensive Coordinator of the Year. He was FootballScoop’s FCS Defensive Coordinator of the Year and a Broyles Award finalist in 2009 while at William and Mary.

Shoop was the head coach at Columbia from 2003-05, posting a 7-23 record. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Yale, in 1989 as a graduate assistant. He also has spent time as an assistant coach at Massachusetts (2006), Boston College (1999-2002), Army (1998), Villanova (1997), Yale (1989, 1994-96), Northeastern (1991-93) and Virginia (1990).

Shoop played wide receiver at Yale where he earned his bachelor’s degree in economics. He was recognized with Yale Football’s prestigious Robert Gardner Anderson Memorial Award for team spirit, dedication and leadership. He also earned four letters in baseball.

Shoop was a three-sport standout at Riverview (PA) High School and is a member of the Allegheny-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Maura, have two sons, Tyler and Jay.

Adding a young, high energy coach with a proven track record such as Williams is a massive win for the Canes. He’s an upgrade at the LB coach spot over Blake Baker, and his high energy style should be a seamless fit for Miami.

When you have a chance to add someone with the experience and credentials of Bob Shoop — a 2-time finalist for the Broyles Award given annually to the best assistant coach in CFB — you do it. His expertise and vast experience will give Manny Diaz and the Canes yet another view of things, and hopefully some solutions to fix the problems that ailed this defense a year ago.

Yet again, Manny Diaz is proving that he has what it takes to make the necessary moves to help propel this program forward.

Now, we just need to see these moves work. Which, given the experience of the newly added coaches, should happen this season if everything goes to form.

Welcome to the U Travis and Bob!

Go Canes