The NFL coaching carousel can lead players to unexpected places once their playing days are over. For one former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman, the next step in his professional journey involves suiting up in the coaching ranks for an AFC opponent.

“Two coaches will join our staff through the end of training camp as part of the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program: Zach Banner and Kyle Williams!” the Jacksonville Jaguars announced through an Instagram post. 

Banner is no stranger to the grind of the NFL trenches. Originally drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, the offensive tackle eventually found his footing in Pittsburgh, appearing in 30 career games between the Browns and Steelers from 2017 through 2021. His career took a hit in Week 1 of the 2020 season, when he tore his MCL against the New York Giants. The Steelers released him in March 2022, and no team picked him up afterward. He spent time this spring helping coach at his alma mater, USC, before officially announcing his retirement as a player earlier this year.

Banner is already well acquainted with Jacksonville’s building. He spent the Jaguars’ May-June 2026 offseason program working as a fellow alongside Maurice Banks and Tyshon Fogg, learning the ropes under current offensive line coach Shaun Sarrett. That connection is a natural one. Sarrett coached Banner for three seasons in Pittsburgh.

For over 30 years, the NFL’s Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship program has helped coaches gain exposure through training camps and offseason workouts. This training camp fellowship marks Banner’s second stint with the Jaguars this year, giving him another chance to build on the relationships and reps he picked up that spring.

Jacksonville represents an ideal launching pad for Banner’s coaching career. It’ll allow him to transition his locker room experience into coaching authority, while the fellowship’s networking opportunities extend his reach across the league.

By establishing himself under a familiar mentor like Sarrett, Banner can carve out a potential pathway toward a full-time NFL coaching job. And he isn’t alone in this latest opportunity, he’s joined by Kyle Williams, a coach with a much longer track record on the defensive side of the ball.

Jaguars bolster their coaching team with another addition

Alongside Banner, the Jaguars welcomed Kyle Williams to the staff as a Bill Walsh fellow. A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Williams began his playing career at Navarro Junior College, where he earned All-American honors at cornerback, before transferring to Kansas State and earning All-Big 12 honors as a safety under head coach Bill Snyder. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent before turning to coaching.

Williams has been coaching since 2008, starting as a graduate assistant at Kansas State before moving through stops at Evangel University, USC, Sul Ross State, UT Permian Basin, East Texas A&M, and most recently Mississippi Valley State, where he also served a stint as interim head coach. He currently works as the safeties coach for the UFL’s Louisville Kings. Last year, he completed a Bill Walsh Fellowship with the Dallas Cowboys during their 2025 offseason and training camp.

His long track record developing defensive backs across multiple college programs, paired with his own playing background at the position, makes him a useful set of eyes for Jacksonville’s staff as they evaluate secondary depth heading into camp.

Training camp runs through August 26, and for both fellows, the goal is the same one every Bill Walsh fellow chases: turning a few weeks of exposure into a real shot at a full-time NFL coaching job somewhere down the line.