Football
Williams, Buddha
vs
Indiana State
Sep 12 (Fri)
6:30 p.m.
Buddha Williams
- Title:
- Defensive Ends
- Email:
- football@iu.edu
LeDominique “Buddha” Williams begins his second season as the defensive ends coach at Indiana, as he looks to continue to develop high-level talent along the front of the Hoosier defense.
At least one of Williams’ pupils has produced 8.0 sacks or more in four straight seasons, with the last two being double-digit sack seasons. Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State) and Mikail Kamara (Indiana) – no relation – produced 13.0 and 10.0 sacks, respectively, over the past two FBS seasons.
A College Football Playoff berth and the No. 1 rushing defense in the country highlighted his first season on campus. His inaugural season in the cream and crimson also saw Mikail Kamara earn first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-America honors after he tied for fifth-most sacks in a single season (10.0).
Williams made an impact on the defensive front in his two seasons at Colorado State (2022-23) with Mohamed Kamara named the 2023 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Kamara was a second-team all-conference pick in 2022.
Kamara led the Mountain West with a program-record 13.0 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss in 2023. He was the first Ram to win an “of the year” award since 2014 (Garrett Grayson, QB) and the first conference defensive player of the year since Shaquil Barrett in 2013.
His 30.5 career sacks rank No. 3 all-time in Mountain West history and 21.5 of those came with Williams as position coach. Kamara posted 33.0 of his 45.5 career tackles for loss over his final two seasons under Williams.
CJ Onyechi earned honorable mention All-Mountain West and Grady Kelly was tabbed a Freshman All-American in Williams’ first season in Fort Collins.
A five-year stay at North Dakota State (2017-21) netted a 66-5 record, four national titles, and three All-American defensive linemen. The Bison won the 2017-19 and 2021 national titles.
Greg Menard earned first-team All-America honors in 2018 from the American Football Coaches Association.
Derrek Tuszka was a first-team All-America pick and was the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Brayden Thomas netted third-team All-America accolades in 2021 after a nine-sack season and helped the Bison post a school-record 49 sacks.
He spent one season at UT Martin (2016) where he coached a pair of all-conference linemen.
Williams made stops at Ohio (2012-13) and Illinois (2014-15) as a defensive graduate assistant. He also worked one season as a GA at Ashland (Ohio) University (2011).
His first season on the field came with his alma mater, Charleston (2010), as linebackers coach.
Williams played three years for Charleston, helping the team produce winning results as the program returned to the field in 2005. He posted 130 tackles with 11.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Charleston in 2009 and his master’s degree in recreation and sport science from Ohio in 2013.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Williams and his wife Veronica have two daughters, Alexis and Gianna, and one son, Dominic.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Charleston
2010: Linebackers
Ashland (Ohio) University
2011: Graduate Assistant – Defense
Ohio University
2012-13: Graduate Assistant – Defense
University of Illinois
2014-15: Graduate Assistant – Defense
University of Tennessee-Martin
2016: Defensive Line
North Dakota State University
2017-21: Defensive Ends
Colorado State University
2022-23: Defensive Line
Indiana University
2024-: Defensive Ends
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
University of Charleston
2006-08: Defensive Back
At least one of Williams’ pupils has produced 8.0 sacks or more in four straight seasons, with the last two being double-digit sack seasons. Mohamed Kamara (Colorado State) and Mikail Kamara (Indiana) – no relation – produced 13.0 and 10.0 sacks, respectively, over the past two FBS seasons.
A College Football Playoff berth and the No. 1 rushing defense in the country highlighted his first season on campus. His inaugural season in the cream and crimson also saw Mikail Kamara earn first-team All-Big Ten and second-team All-America honors after he tied for fifth-most sacks in a single season (10.0).
Williams made an impact on the defensive front in his two seasons at Colorado State (2022-23) with Mohamed Kamara named the 2023 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Kamara was a second-team all-conference pick in 2022.
Kamara led the Mountain West with a program-record 13.0 sacks and 17.0 tackles for loss in 2023. He was the first Ram to win an “of the year” award since 2014 (Garrett Grayson, QB) and the first conference defensive player of the year since Shaquil Barrett in 2013.
His 30.5 career sacks rank No. 3 all-time in Mountain West history and 21.5 of those came with Williams as position coach. Kamara posted 33.0 of his 45.5 career tackles for loss over his final two seasons under Williams.
CJ Onyechi earned honorable mention All-Mountain West and Grady Kelly was tabbed a Freshman All-American in Williams’ first season in Fort Collins.
A five-year stay at North Dakota State (2017-21) netted a 66-5 record, four national titles, and three All-American defensive linemen. The Bison won the 2017-19 and 2021 national titles.
Greg Menard earned first-team All-America honors in 2018 from the American Football Coaches Association.
Derrek Tuszka was a first-team All-America pick and was the 2019 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Brayden Thomas netted third-team All-America accolades in 2021 after a nine-sack season and helped the Bison post a school-record 49 sacks.
He spent one season at UT Martin (2016) where he coached a pair of all-conference linemen.
Williams made stops at Ohio (2012-13) and Illinois (2014-15) as a defensive graduate assistant. He also worked one season as a GA at Ashland (Ohio) University (2011).
His first season on the field came with his alma mater, Charleston (2010), as linebackers coach.
Williams played three years for Charleston, helping the team produce winning results as the program returned to the field in 2005. He posted 130 tackles with 11.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Charleston in 2009 and his master’s degree in recreation and sport science from Ohio in 2013.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Williams and his wife Veronica have two daughters, Alexis and Gianna, and one son, Dominic.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Charleston
2010: Linebackers
Ashland (Ohio) University
2011: Graduate Assistant – Defense
Ohio University
2012-13: Graduate Assistant – Defense
University of Illinois
2014-15: Graduate Assistant – Defense
University of Tennessee-Martin
2016: Defensive Line
North Dakota State University
2017-21: Defensive Ends
Colorado State University
2022-23: Defensive Line
Indiana University
2024-: Defensive Ends
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
University of Charleston
2006-08: Defensive Back
FB: Week 3 (Indiana State) - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Monday, September 08
FB: Elijah Sarratt - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
Saturday, September 06
FB: Kellan Wyatt - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
Saturday, September 06
FB: Fernando Mendoza - KSU Postgame Press Conference (09/06/25)
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