Will Harris comes to Florida from the Los Angeles Chargers, where he served as assistant secondary coach this season. (Photo: Courtesy of Chargers.com).
Carter's Corner: Gators Assistant Will Harris' Coaching Odyssey Launched by Snoop — Yes, That One
Monday, December 11, 2023 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Before he blows his first whistle at a Florida practice, barks his first command, and runs his first drill, new Gators secondary coach Will Harris owns a unique place in school lore.
He is the first Gators assistant to get into coaching at the urging of — the envelope, please — Snoop Dogg.
That's right. Snoop. Snoop Lion. Snoop Doggy Dogg. Or perhaps you prefer The D.O. Double G.
Yes, rap legend Calvin Broadus has many names, but the one Harris and his Southern Cal teammates used most frequently was 'Unc' when Snoop showed up regularly at Trojans games during Harris' career from 2005-09.
"Snoop used to come to SC a lot," Harris told Chargers.com in July. "He was just an awesome dude."
Once Harris finished his time at USC, he spent a camp with the Seahawks and later played in the Canadian Football League. But when his playing career ended for good, Harris returned to his Los Angeles-area home and trained to become a firefighter. To stay close to football, he taught young players on the side.
Word got back to Snoop, whose son was an up-and-coming prospect at the time, and Harris soon got a call from his old pal to see if he would be interested in coaching Calvin Broadus Jr., Snoop's son, in the Snoop Youth Football League.
Harris took up the offer and soon Snoop Dogg pushed him to seek a college coaching position and to use him as a reference if he got whiff of a job.
"I fell in love with it," Harris told The Athletic in 2018. "And I haven't looked back since."
Snoop Dogg performs at Gator Growl in 2017. (File photo courtesy of the Gainesville Sun).
Harris started small, serving as an assistant at Fullerton (Calif.) College and Diamond Bar High School. From there, Harris' unusual journey took him from assistant jobs at Northwestern Oklahoma State, Humboldt (Calif.) State, Dixie State in Utah, and San Jose State.
He landed at a Power Five school in 2018 when he was hired as defensive backs coach at Washington, where Harris spent the next four seasons. He served the 2022 season on former USC coach Clay Helton's staff at Georgia Southern as defensive coordinator and returned to his native California as assistant secondary coach for the Los Angeles Chargers in April.
The 36-year-old Harris was in his first season with the Chargers when the Gators came calling following the dismissal of cornerbacks coach Corey Raymond two weeks ago. Harris finished his time with the Chargers in Sunday's 24-7 home loss to the Broncos.
He did his best work at Washington coaching the secondary. The Huskies ranked among the best pass defenses in the Pac-12 during Harris' time in Seattle and, in 2021, surrendered only six touchdown passes and 1,720 yards, which ranked the best among FBS programs.
Two of his pupils on the 2021 Huskies team were selected in the 2022 NFL Draft: cornerbacks Trent McDuffie (Chiefs, 21st overall) and Kyler Gordon (Bears, 39th).
Harris has traveled far from the path of a firefighter.
"I was in Stage 3 in the L.A. Fire Department, and that's a long process,'' Harris told the Chargers' website. "So, at the time, I'm like running out of money, so I'm like, 'What am I going to do?' Started training, and then next thing you know, that training turned into coaching, and then it took off."
Harris grew up in Southern California and starred at Covina Charter Oak High School, where he was a standout safety and played every skill position on offense his senior season. He was also a two-time MVP of the basketball team and an all-area selection in track and field as a high jumper and long jumper.
The late Lou Farrar, who at the time of his death in 2019 ranked sixth all-time in the California high school record books with 335 career wins, spent 39 years at Charter Oak. He told the Los Angeles Times in 2005 what kind of player he considered Harris.
"He's probably the best pure athlete I've coached,'' Farrar said. "The guy played a sport every day of his high school career."
While at USC, Harris did more than become buddies with Snoop Dogg. He contributed to a Trojans team that appeared in four consecutive Rose Bowls, including the 2005 BCS National Championship Game against Texas.
Harris maintains a close relationship with former USC coach Pete Carroll and will soon share everything he has learned on his coaching odyssey with the Gators.
Harris told the Savannah (Ga.) Morning News last year perhaps the most important lesson he has acquired along the way.
"Everybody wants to talk about money in this business," he said. "For me, it's never been about that. I got into this business, and I will never lose sight of why I got into it. It was because someone helped me, and he was a coach. So, I want to help these young men and see them live out their dreams."
