Evan Williams is an entrepreneur (Pro Player Insurance Group), Auburn University alum, mother of two sons and wife to Carnell Cadillac Williams, a former Auburn standout and NFL running back who was named as Auburn's interim head coach on Oct. 31, 2022. Evan and Kristi discuss the Williamses' history as college sweethearts at Auburn and their transition from player life to coaching life. Evan dives into the whirlwind of the last month after her husband was promoted to lead the Auburn football team on an interim basis, becoming the first Black head coach in the program's 130-year history.
Evan Williams is an entrepreneur (Pro Player Insurance Group), Auburn University alum, mother of two sons and wife to Carnell Cadillac Williams, a former Auburn standout and NFL running back who was named as Auburn's interim head coach on Oct. 31, 2022. Evan and Kristi discuss the Williamses' history as college sweethearts at Auburn and their transition from player life to coaching life. Evan dives into the whirlwind of the last month after her husband was promoted to lead the Auburn football team on an interim basis, becoming the first Black head coach in the program's 130-year history.
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Kristi Malzahn: Hi friends. Welcome back to Beyond Gameday. Today we have Evan Williams. She is a dear friend, and the beautiful wife of Carnell, better known as Cadillac Williams. He is the interim head coach at Auburn University. So let’s just jump right in. Here we go.
Hi Evan. How are ya?
Evan Williams: Hey, hey. How are you?
Kristi Malzahn: Thanks for joining me today.
Evan Williams: Thank you for having me.
Kristi Malzahn: I know. I miss seeing your face in real time sometimes. It’s good to see you.
Evan Williams: I know. But this is better than nothing.
Kristi Malzahn: Better than nothing. Better than Marco Polo where I just ramble on about nothing. That’s the real thing.
Evan Williams: (laughs)
Kristi Malzahn: OK so we have got a lot we need to talk about. But I want to start out by asking you so that the listeners can get a clear picture of who and you know how y’all met, who you are, who he is, all those things. So your husband is Carnell Williams. Better known as Cadillac Williams.
Evan Williams: Yes.
Kristi Malzahn: And you two met, when?
Evan Williams: Yeah so we met, we are college sweethearts. We met at Auburn University third week of class freshman year. So that would have been 2001. It was kind of though a setup between mutual friends. So when Carnell was coming in — I think back then the players all had big brothers or whoever their recruit was at the time. I don’t know if you know this but Carnell’s recruit was Travaris Robinson.
Kristi Malzahn: No, I did not know that.
Evan Williams: Yeah, so T Rob was actually at the time dating — his girlfriend was one of my friends from my hometown. So she was a few years old than me and so she was treating me, as well, like her little sister, and they were playing matchmaker. So I guess T Rob had mentioned me to Carnell and Kila, his girlfriend at the time, and they’re actually still really good friends, mentioned some guy being interested. But my daddy told me when I came to school not to date anybody, particularly football players. Like literally my dad was like, “I’m sending you off, do not date any athletes. I don’t want to see an athlete. I don’t want to see a football player. None of that.”
Kristi Malzahn: (laughs)
Evan Williams: So I really wasn’t paying him any attention but by the third week of school—
Kristi Malzahn: I was gonna say, that’s three weeks into school, Evan. Come on.
Evan Williams: Three weeks into school, I was (laughs)—
Kristi Malzahn: You were disobeying your dad. Three weeks into school.
Evan Williams: I was disobeying my dad already. I mean he ran up on me though. I wasn’t trying.
Kristi Malzahn: Oh sure, sure.
Evan Williams: So I was studying in Haley Center. And he approached me.And the rest is kind of history. I will say my first impression of him, though. Now I’m from Alabama. I do consider myself a southern girl but he is from north Alabama, and you know all of our accents vary throughout the state but I just remember when he started talking I was like, “This is the countriest bumpkin I have ever heard.” And I just remember being like, “Where are you from? Where are you from? What is that accent? What do you have on?” Now, he’s going to deny this. Because he could not dress when I met him. OK. Nobody knew who he was at the time. He wasn’t playing. But he was so sweet, and so I gave him my number. But he didn’t even call me for three weeks. I didn’t even know who he was when he finally did call. I had forgotten that we had a little exchange and exchanged numbers. And then some how we ended up married with children in between
Kristi Malzahn: Look at you.
Evan Williams: (laughs)
Kristi Malzahn: ’Cause he’s smarter than he looks, I guess. (laughs)
Evan Williams: He claims, he was like, “Well I wasn’t coming to school for a girlfriend.” He was like, “I was coming to play ball.”
Kristi Malzahn: Oh yeah. Well—
Evan Williams: He was like I was focused on football.
Kristi Malzahn: Somehow or another he was able to do both of those things. So, kind of give me, just because there will be some wives out here, we’ve got some babies that are going to go 2001? Oh my gosh.
Evan Williams We just dated ourselves.
Kristi Malzahn: We are old. Well yeah because I mean, if you talk about 2001, we’d already been coaching for like 10 years. (laughs) So I’m just saying, yes we’ve dated ourselves a minute. But you’re still young and cool enough.
So he went on and had a pretty successful career. We’ll just say it that way.
Evan Williams: Correct.
Kristi Malzahn: It was delightful to watch him play ball. And he had a great team around him. They did some really special things. So then he was drafted by—
Evan Williams: He got drafted to Tampa Bay and I graduated. So he didn’t graduate, he only had two classes left but he went ahead and went to the league. When I graduated, which was fall of 2004, I ended up joining Teach for America and was assigned to move to Houston. So I already knew that I was going to be in Houston. And then draft day came around and he was chosen by Tampa Bay. And so we had agreed to just try a long-distance relationship.
Kristi Malzahn: OK.
Evan Williams: So we were long-distance for five years. Now I had the most frequent flier miles.
Kristi Malzahn: I bet.
Evan Williams: I was in Tampa, I mean I would go teach during the week. On Fridays, I had a bag packed. The school bell would ring. I’d book it to north Houston to get to George Bush International Airport and I would have that direct flight to Tampa, and I would be there for the weekend for the games. I would either fly out late Sunday night after the game or early Monday and roll right back into the classroom. I didn’t even know what it was like to live in Houston like my first year because I was gone on the weekends.
Kristi Malzahn: Sure, sure.
Evan Williams: But then in the off-season, you know the NFL, he would come visit me because they’re off and they can be anywhere. And we did that for five years.
Kristi Malzahn: He was slow playing the ring and stuff.
Evan Williams: Yeah, yeah, yeah, slow poke. There were a couple of breakups in between there but he acts like he doesn’t remember them. So I don’t know if that’s—
Kristi Malzahn: We’ll get to those later (laughs). We have a lot to talk about so we might need to do a whole ’nother podcast on all of the other in-betweens. We have been through a minute of things.
So then you two get married. And he is still playing. How long was his career?
Evan Williams: Seven years. So when we got married then he was playing for St. Louis Rams. So we still lived in Tampa but we went up to St. Louis for the season.
Kristi Malzahn: OK. And then he’s done. He’s still really young. And I’m going to jump into, he decides I can’t sit around. I’ve got to have something to do. And mama decides he cannot sit around. He’s got to have something to do.
Evan Williams: Yeah he was driving me crazy. Now I’ll be honest. He was ready to play a few more years but you know, running backs, that position, is one of the shortest-lived in the league. Three years in that time was the average. And he was ready to play another two years, but you know younger, fresher legs coming in and he just wasn’t picked up.
So we had had Cole, our first-born, and he was kind of trying his hand at stay-at-home dad. However, I think if you have a spouse who has been doing a sport since they were a kid and then for it to be cut off, it was like he was going through a grieving period. Like just not being used to not playing ball and he was driving me absolutely crazy.
Kristi Malzahn: Yeah.
Evan Williams: I mean he was getting on my nerves.
Kristi Malzahn: So because he was staying home with the baby, you were able to be out conquering the world and you were Mrs. Insurance Woman who I guess that’s when you started your agency and did all of that during that time.
Evan Williams: Yeah and he had actually already invested in an insurance agency and so I was more interested in being more hands-on with it. So I was like well hey, you know, you’re trying to figure out what you’re doing. I’ll go with our business partner and manage the agency, and he was just taking time to be a stay-at-home dad and figure out what he wanted to do next. So yeah I was able to that and I do appreciate that time, that period.
Kristi Malzahn: You know and that is something we tell players all the time and I don’t think they really get it. that he was, what, 28, 30 years old when he’s retired.
Evan Williams: Yup.
Kristi Malzahn: I mean think about that. And when we tell them that it’s like they’re still young enough to think that’s forever away but the reality is your life is still laid out ahead of you. And you need to know what you want to do after. I mean I feel like it’s that recruiting, what I call the talk. But it’s the understanding— know what you are wanting to do beyond. And that’s what the school years are for, is to help you start trying to figure that out because the football will take care of itself. The basketball will take care of itself. Whatever sport it is, it will take care of itself. The main thing is, what do you want to do after? Because you know, not all of us can be a Tom Brady or a Lebron James, which I guess Lebron is probably really young I guess. He seems really old to me because he’s been around forever. But he went into the league when he was 18. But that is a whole thing that I don’t think that they really realize.
Evan Williams: Correct.
Kristi Malzahn: Totally sometimes. That there is a whole life after.So picking back up there. He decides staying-at-home dad – he’s through grieving kinda, sorta — and he’s trying to figure it out. And what, how does that transpire?
Evan Williams: So it looked like, like I said, he was kinda getting on my nerves, being at home. Always talking about football on the weekends. When the games were starting up on Fridays, all day Saturday, Sunday, he is literally on the phone with all his former teammates and they are talking football all day, all night. And I’m literally texting with my friends, who are married to the guys on the other end of the line and we’re like, we’re all going to be divorced. Literally all of us are going crazy.
Kristi Malzahn: Enough is enough (laughs).
Evan Williams: They were on the phone so much, we’re texting. I’m like I’m about to bust all of this up because we’re literally going to lose our husbands because they’re all on the phone with each other for 24 hours on the weekends. And so I was like hey — this is what’s funny. He had always told me, he was like, “I will never be a coach. I would never get into coaching.” And it wasn’t for lack of respecting the coaching world. He was just like they work harder than us as a player. He was just like they’re there before we’re there. They’re there after we’re there. He was like I could never coach.
Well after hearing all this talking about football and analyzing and things of that nature, I just was like, “Hey, I actually think you should give it a try. You’re wasting time talking to other players about it when you could actually be talking to some kids who will listen and you’ve got a great resume. Great experience. Why don’t you get into coaching?”
So he had to go back to school so we came back to Auburn so he could finish those last seven hours, two classes: English and Spanish. Because of course to coach college, which he was like if I get into coaching, I’d rather start with college. You’ve got to have your college degree.
Kristi Malzahn: You do in high school too. (laughs) They don’t let you teach without a degree. But nice try.
Evan Williams: He was like well I wouldn’t want to go into the NFL. Especially him coming right out of the NFL, let me try my hand at college. So we went back and one of the cool things that the NFL Players Association does, is they do have a lot of really good programs for what’s after your playing career. And I just remembered seeing all that information. And they have a program director that they assign to each player. I remember seeing information about a coaching internship. So once he finished his degree, I filled out that application. He hopped on the phone with one of the program directors. I cleaned up his resume and he got the gig to go to Henderson State. Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Kristi Malzahn: Gus Malzahn’s alma mater baby! Gus Malzahn’s alma mater! (laughs)
Evan Williams: Now you know I was not going with him.
Kristi Malzahn: Now you know I delivered a baby at Twin Rivers Hospital, so I’m just saying. (laughs)
Evan Williams: I was pregnant with #2 at this time and I was like, you’re going where? Arkadel— I was like listen, we’ll come visit. I can’t do Arkadelphia, Arkansas, with one Walmart and that was about it. So we sent him off.
Kristi Malzahn: Yeah it was worse when I was there, I’m just gonna say. That was back in the ’80s. So he went as a GA to Henderson State. That’s pretty awesome. So Go Reddies. And you stayed home. And then what?
Evan Williams: So we would visit him during the season. Which you know, not a long season. We went up twice to go and support the team and check on him. And after that, someone, one of the coaches from West Georgia reached out to him about coming to be a GA at West Georgia. After he got back from Henderson State he was on to West Georgia the following football season again as a GA.
Kristi Malzahn: Where is West Georgia located?
Evan Williams: Carrollton, Georgia.
Kristi Malzahn: Carrollton. OK. He went to West Georgia and then, he had a couple years of GA-ing and then?
Evan Williams: And then in the midst of, I think it was shortly after West Georgia, he was attending— I was constantly online looking at coaching whatever opportunities there were. We would get these e-blasts again from the NFLPA or all that stuff about good coaching conventions or meetings to attend. So there was one being put on by the NCAA and I can’t think of— it might have been one of the NCAA-NFL combos where they allow former NFL players interested in coaching to come to this. He ended up meeting the head coach of IMG Academy, which is an elite sports boarding school. So he bumped into Carnell and couldn’t believe he was coaching and pretty much offered him a job. And what was funny about that was we were in Tampa, we’re natives of Alabama but we love Florida, and we had talked about how we would love to get back to Florida at some point. And so it just worked out that he met the head coach of IMG and he reached out to Carnell shortly after that meeting and asked if he would come be the running backs coach down in Bradenton. And that’s a unique coaching experience—
Kristi Malzahn: No doubt.
Evan Williams: Yes it’s high school, but you know, it’s a whole different. I mean you’re talking about— it looks like a college campus, feels like a college campus. All of those kids there are going on to become professional athletes, so it was a very elevated high school coaching experience. I mean everybody on that team are DI players, literally. So it was a great experience for him to be there because coaches were coming to IMG to recruit.
Kristi Malzahn: All the time.
Evan Williams: All the coaches. All the time. Everybody. So he was able to teach at a high-level high school but then also interacting with all these coaches, guys who had even coached him at some point and guys who he just knew in the coaching world. And that kind of helped open up his contacts in terms of moving onto other coaching opportunities. But we were down in Bradenton, Florida, at IMG Academy for two years and then in between that.
So because IMG’s schedule is shorter than most high school programs because they’re not allowed to compete in the playoffs because they just have a really unfair advantage of the kinds of kids that come to that school. His old running back coach from Tampa Bay, Coach Logan, reached out to Carnell about in the spring coaching with the Birmingham Iron. I think it was like the AFL League, you know one of those semi-professional leagues. So the idea was he would coach IMG in the fall but then he would be able to coach Birmingham Iron in the spring because their league is in the spring and he’d do both and then he’s kind of getting a dabble of what’s it like to coach adults, like guys who are aspiring to go pro. But that was, I think everybody knows that was a very short-lived league. But in between there he got a phone call from somebody’s husband while he was literally out coaching on the field practice with the Birmingham Iron. And so he called me after, at a weird time when he normally doesn’t call, and he’s like, “Hey I just got a missed call from Gus Malzahn.” And I was like what’s Gus doing calling? We were both like why would Gus be calling?
Kristi Malzahn: He needs to be busy doing something.
Evan Williams: For what? What do you mean? And I’m like, well did you call him back? He’s like well I’m about to. I’m just letting you know. I was looking at my Apple watch and his name popped up. And I was trying to figure out what was going on.
So in the midst of him coaching at Birmingham, he gets a call from Gus and apparently the running back position, the running back coach’s position was open and Gus was just reaching out to see if Carnell would be interested.
Kristi Malzahn: [sing-song] Say please, please, pretty please.
Evan Williams: Of course. I mean what was crazy about that was we always thought, when I saw the coaching thing was actually gaining traction with Carnell, we were always like, “Oh that would be the great culmination of your coaching career— to go back to our alma mater and coach at Auburn.” Like we’re thinking that’s going to happen 10 years from now. That will be the end all be all. And then we’ll sail off into the sunset after we retire and finish help raising the boys. That’s literally what we were thinking. So for him to get a call from Gus at this phase of his career, we were just in shock.
Kristi Malzahn: So basically that’s what’s fixin to happen. That you came in, you’re going to finish out. Yeah.
Evan Williams: And of course it did happen. He about died. We didn’t get any sleep those three days from the time Gus called.
Kristi Malzahn: Gus made you wait three days?!
Evan Williams: Well no, I’m saying. I don’t think it was three days.
Kristi Malzahn: I’m teasing. I’m teasing. Don’t be griping at him Kristi.
Evan Williams: No because the very next day Carnell is like, Gus is flying a jet. I was like what is happening?!
Evan Wiliams: And then of course took him to a Mexican restaurant, which we all know.
Kristi Malzahn: Of course he did because that’s what he does.
Evan Williams: Everybody knows Gus and that Mexican.
Kristi Malzahn: Gus and his Mexican. God love him. I know.
Evan Williams: I mean Carnell loves Mexican too. You know, Gus sat down with Carnell. They chopped it up for a little bit and I think if I’m not mistaken, I feel like Gus called him by the time he landed or shortly after to offer the job. And Gus was like and we need you here tomorrow.
Kristi Malzahn: Yeah Gus went in with simply the I just want to see if he’s all that I’ve heard as a person. I know what he is as a player. I know he knows how to teach it. he’s been teaching it. Gus knew he has been at IMG. All of those things because of the recruiting side. He probably missed until later, I’m sure they connected that night on the Henderson, the Big Reddie year. But I would say I don’t think he was doing anything more than just I need to get in front of him because he thinks he reads people so well. I’ve got news for him. But he does like to get in front, to kind of get a feel. Of course you had rave reviews from all his playing time and him being a good guy and having this awesome, incredible wife that wow. Like please. And truly, I mean you know, we’ve got— you had some other coaches who had played with him that were on the staff talking about this is the deal. He’s a great fit. It’s going to work well. Cause Gus is kind of weird. He has his own unique way of working but we all loved Auburn and wanted it to do well and it was a great fit. And we had a player or two that we were, like this is the deal. This is the deal right here. Right here.
And the reason I bring that up is because then fast forward to you came in ’19, have an awesome year. End up beating Alabama and having a great season, at least kinda. And then 2020 hits. And it’s a COVID year and we’re, I mean everybody’s trying to figure out exactly what’s happening. And then fast forward to December 13 and we get let go. Well in most places, that’s a done deal that the whole staff is gone. So we’re in that position on the back side, concerned about our people, making sure they have somewhere to go. And that they’re, that our people can land in a place that’s good as much as we can help them at that point. And so y’all get the privilege of, but also let’s fast forward to February 15 Gus gets a job. And he’s like hey. Because y’all’ve been kept on. But he’s like hey. You wanna come coach with us?
Evan Williams: Y’all are always taking my sleep. Taking my sleep from me is what you guys are constantly doing. Once again could not sleep.
Kristi Malzahn: What I want to hear, what I want you to share is why did you stay? Because you had a whole new staff.
Evan Williams: Yeah. So yeah, and I have not been in the coaching world long but I knew the odds of staying were just crazy. I feel like that’s very rare and unique, especially for a position coach. So Carnell accepted the running back coach job again with the new head coach. And then here you guys go, getting a job. And I was like oh my god. I already know, I know Gus, I know they’re going to be calling. My nerves were bad because I was like Lord where are we supposed to be? Was the question.
Kristi Malzahn: Right.
Evan Williams: I think it was very clear when you guys got let go, I was devastated. Because people don’t realize the relationship that people form behind the scenes in the coaching world. And so I had already been packing my bags. I’m like we are going back to Florida, and this was even before we knew you guys were going to be in Florida. I was just like we’ll go back to Florida and we’ll figure it out. And then when you guys got the gig, I mean we were sweating again. Like, OK do we stay at Auburn or do we come to Orlando? And you know, you know this personally. I love Florida. I always want to be back in Florida. My business is here. One of my sons was born here. We’ve got relationships here. So for me it was really hard to figure out what was the right thing. So Carnell and I were like we’re just going to think about it and pray about it. And I remember him getting the offer but us saying, praying and thinking, that something just didn’t feel right. And this is me in that, that—
Kristi Malzahn: There’s no justification. You had to pray through and know. And if there’s a check in your spirit, there’s a check in your spirit. And you gotta, eh what is it?
Evan Williams: I was just like, you remember I told you this. I was like we are supposed to be here.I was like I can’t put all my finger on it exactly but I was like, my spirit feels unsettled about moving, leaving Auburn at this time. And I know for us it was a lot of, we had moved a couple family members here to Auburn that needed our help. They weren’t quite settled yet. I know in terms of Carnell’s decision in coaching, one thing with him being a young coach, he had not had the chance to finish developing over four years players that he had recruited. So for him in that regard, he was just like I feel strongly that I need to make sure that people know that I can develop talent and I haven’t done that yet. I just started getting guys in the door and I want to develop that. But also we just felt like spiritually something was holding, saying stay here. And that was a really hard decision for us because obviously we love you. All our friends were going with you guys. We love Florida. But I remember telling him we are supposed to be here right now for some reason and I don’t know why.
But I think we now know why today.
Kristi Malzahn: Yes. Because we’re going to fast forward to, we’re glossing over some not fun stuff. And you know again in the life of coaching, we’re dealing with some stuff that’s not great all the time. And ta-da, game what was the 8?
Evan Williams: Eight. Yes?
Kristi Malzahn: Before game eight on the week before game eight, Sunday the hammer comes down. And you watch yet another head coach get let go. Only this time they walk in and they say, “Hey Carnell. Come here. Guess what you’re going to do?”
I’m sure they offered him a rose and said will you accept this rose? But what they meant was, come here, this is what you’re going to do because they were so excited. I’m sure it was asked politely and all those things but. So what happened?
Evan Williams: So going through the trauma again of another head coach firing. And I get physically, not ill, but my body—whenever that happens, like the anxiety builds up. Like is said, the relationships. I’ve got relationships with the folks who are getting let go. And it wasn’t just the head coach. It was like head coach, then five minutes later it was coach after coach after coach. I think when it was all said and done a total of six coaches. And everybody’s texting. Everybody’s scared. Is everybody getting let go? You know, there’s just pandemonium in a sense.
And then Carnell calls me. Obviously I find out a few hours before the public does. And he’s just like, “OK this just happened.” However I’m thinking, alright let me go ahead — once again I’m about to to start packing up. Now we’re moving back to Florida.
Kristi Malzahn: We’re moving back to Florida!
Evan Williams: I’m like there’s no way.You just don’t survive two firings of a head coach and stay on staff. I was like we’re done. And he calls me and he’s like, “So I was just asked to be the interim head coach.” I’m like, you what? And you said what though? What did you say? And he was like, I’m going to do it.
Kristi Malzahn: I mean was there any question.
Evan Williams: I mean I had thought in my head about what would happen if the coach got fired, literally we were the last to think it would be Carnell. Me and him both there like maybe it will be so-and-so. Not us. Not us. And I’m not surprised he said yes. I just wanted to hear him explain to me that he said yes, and I needed to know his rationale. Because I’m like OK you’ve never even been so much as a coordinator, let alone, you’re not even the associate head coach, let alone being the interim head coach.
I think it was more shock and disbelief that he was asked. Not necessarily that he said yes. Because I couldn’t see him turning it down. Although he did say initially he as like “not-uh. There’s no way.” Until the higher-ups were like “No Auburn needs you. You’ve got to do— you’re an Auburn man. This is your alma mater. We’ve got to finish out the season strong. And I can hear the movie music in the background. I’m getting all those Friday Night Lights, Remember the Titans — all of that. I feel like itw as one of those, in that moment he had to say that.
Kristi Malzahn: We need you. Yeah.
Evan Williams: And I just remember thinking, OK I only have a few hours before this hits the news.And he explained to me, he was like OK this is how it’s going to go. You can’t tell anybody. I only took it to the Lord. But, don’t laugh. The first thing I was thinking of was, let me go get my nails and toes done.
Kristi Malzahn: I ain’t laughing.
Evan Williams: Because I was like, “Oh shoot, my hands and feet are not done.”
Kristi Malzahn: I will say. I will say. I don’t want to too closely relate you to me to do any damage in any way shape or form. But what was the first thing, I was like, “Hey girl, get your outfits picked out. Because you need to have your stuff to-get-her.” Go get your hair done.
Evan Williams: Together. I went directly to my nail and hair salon. And I was like let me enjoy this calm before the storm. And I was in there just like nails, pedi. And they were like usually you make an appointment. I’m like no I need to be seen today. Right now. Hands and feet need to be done. And then I’m calling my stylist. Which I didn’t have a stylist but I had one of my girlfriends was styling Carnell this season because that was a gift I got him for his 40th. I was like this season we should step up your attire. And yeah selfishly I was like calling her, girl I’m going to need you to send some more suits.
Kristi Malzahn: Can’t tell you why. I just need you to send me some clothes.
Evan Williams: I need you to be sending some more clothes than I thought. And then when the news was out, at least my nails and feet were done so that when I then had to be taking my kids to school and out and about and people are all in my face, everything was together. Those were my first critical thoughts: nails, toes and clothes.
Kristi Malzahn: And thank goodness the eyebrows were done months ago. (laughs)
Evan Williams: Eyebrows were already done. Lashes were done.
Kristi Malzahn: And you were only a week away from the hair being done so yay. Looking fine. Oh my goodness. All the important things. But it’s a real thing.
So I don’t want to go into too much of a — I don’t want to borrow tomorrow’s trouble, as the Lord says. It’s got enough of it’s own. So we’ll just stick with, what has been one of the funnest thing you’ve had up until this point, in these last couple of weeks?
Evan Williams: I will say, I had a realization that night that it was announced that he was going to be the interim head coach, I’m like going up to the facility to check on him. I was going up there every night. Because I was like I got to check on my husband because I know him. We’ve been together since we were 18. I need to make sure he’s hydrated, fed, that he’s getting a little mental break. And then I realized, when I walked into the building, everybody was like, “Hey first lady!” And I was like first lady?! Well I guess I am the first lady, shoot. Let me get it together.
And I realized, and I mean he inspired me to do this as well. His goal was to like bring the staff together, bring the players together. I’ve had some great head coaches’ wives that I’ve watched.
Kristi Malzahn: You really have. You really, really have.
Evan Williams: I really have. And I realized well I’ve got stuff I’ve got to be doing too. They were asking me questions about hey how do you want to do this that and the other? One of the things I had the most fun about, ironically that first game that he was head coaching had already been designated as the wives’ trip. So that’s not awkward. And I remember being like— I mean I reached out to you, I reached out to other people, do we keep the wives’ trip? Do we not? People have been fired. Folks who were thinking they were going on that trip, they’re no longer on staff. And I’m glad I didn’t make a rash decision and I prayed about it. so for me the most fun thing was saying yeah we’re going to go on this wives’ trip. And we’re going to put our arms around each other. And we got to know each other in a way that we had not over the past year and a half or two and that has translated as well now that we’re back at home. We feel the love between each other and so for me the most fun has been checking on other wives and serving the other wives, whose husbands have also stepped up. It’s not just my husband. Yes he’s the interim head coach but so many people have also been promoted and have stepped up. I’m not the only one whose life has changed. Like everyone. I enjoy making sure— my love language is acts of service. So I love serving other people in that way. So it’s just been a lot of fun to make sure I’m checking on wives and asking what is needed and being able to serve in that capacity and I really enjoy that. And I’m surprised because you know I can come off, ahhh I’m not friendly like that. Although I do love hard.
Kristi Malzahn: No you’re not friendly like that. You’re really not. It took me a minute to convince you that you would let me in. I mean c’mon now.
Evan Williams: (laughs) That’s a whole ’nother podcast.
Kristi Malzahn: That’s a whole ’nother podcast. But—
Evan Williams: I do love hard. It’s not that I’m not friendly. I’m very guarded.
Kristi Malzahn: You are very guarded.
Evan Williams: And so it’s just out of protection for my husband and my kids but once you’re in with me, I go hard for ya.
Kristi Malzahn: Well in your life if you look at it, you married when he was in a position. And there’s so many that just want something from you. So there’s reason to put up some guards as to who you let in. It’s kind of that thing that something you have to leave some stuff behind when you’re moving forward. Because if you don’t, not everybody wants to go where you’re going. And that’s just part of it. They have their own direction to go. It’s not saying you’re leaving them behind because they’re life sucks, it’s just saying we’re not going to the same exact location and we need to go different directions. It’s OK. It’s OK.
So what has been the hardest thing? And you’re in a small town.
Evan Williams: I’m in a small town. So it’s a combination of lack of sleep. Because there’s just so much to do now in this capacity. And I’m like, as if being married to a coach is not hard enough, he is now gone even more. I only had him for limited time but we have two young boys who are daddy’s boys and so still managing them and being a caregiver for them. still me getting rest so that I am a loving, caring mother. Because that week I was like boys y’all have got to give your mama some grace because she is tired and going off 12 hours of sleep for a whole week and I was just not myself. But at the end of the day I’m a wife and a mom. So I’m trying to make sure I’m taking care of home. So striking that balance of taking care of home and still taking care of everybody else because we take care of a lot of family members who do rely on me. Just striking that balance has been really hard.
But I am so grateful because God has positioned people around me. Like you. Like all of my friends. It’s crazy to see how God positioned each of our friends has been able to pour into us based on whatever attribute God blessed them with. So you know I’ve got you who I can rely on to give feedback on hey how should I approach this as a head coach’s wife? And then I’ve got a friend of mine who is married but she doesn’t have kids right now. So she’s like what do you need me to do to help you take care of your boys? Like I can come and stand in the gap with you and help you. And we have been overwhelmed with that support where people are literally filling in where we’re feeling like we’re lacking. So it’s been hard but I mean God has positioned us to where it’s hard but it’s not. He already knew.
Kristi Malzahn: He has provided because he is the provision of our lives.
Evan Williams: He already knew what we were going to need in this moment so I’ve been overwhelmed with seeing that God was already positioning people to be in place so that I didn’t just all the way fall out last week. Because that’s how I was feeling.
Kristi Malzahn: You could have. You could have. OK so up to this point you’ve told me what the funnest thing was or has been and what the hardest thing has been so far. So are there, I hesitate to go any place because I hope y’all are staying in the moment. I really do. I want you to be staying in the moment because in another couple of weeks things are going to be all shifting and changing and everything could be a new or a not. But one of the things we want to celebrate for you and truthfully for Auburn is they’ve been playing football 1892. 130 years. Think about that.
Evan Williams: That’s a long time.
Kristi Malzahn: You know, we over here in our black and gold are just like in our 20s. love ya. We might be barely over 30 but we still think we’re 20 because we didn’t play real big boy until about 20-something years ago. So you’ve got 130 years and for the first time ever, Carnell Cadillac black jack baby meet me out back is running the show.
Evan Williams: The show. It’s crazy.
Kristi Malzahn: How cool is that?
Evan Williams: It is weird. I’m still kind of, I’m still in disbelief. You know it didn’t even registered when he was named interim head coach, I didn’t even put two-and-two together about him also being the first Black coach of a major predominately white institution, PWI for short. In the state of Alabama. First in Auburn, I didn’t realize that until like day two. And it’s hard to articulate the joy that I have for him for this opportunity to be the first. But then it’s also a sobering reminder of like you just said, the school has had football for a million years. And he’s the first and it’s 2022. As an African-American woman I’m conflicted. Like yes I’m celebrating that but also reminded of the fact of man we have a long way to go because why is that the case? You know what I mean.
But we wear it proudly. I think it’s been more, again overwhelming just in hearing from my friends, hearing from strangers. You just said, I’m in a small town. Well first of all I didn’t even know people knew what I looked like.
Kristi Malzahn: I’ve been telling you. I’ve been telling you.
Evan Williams: I thought I was just going to Publix the other day and I’m getting that awkward like, “That’s her.” The staring. And I’m fine with it. especially, African-Americans stopping me and stopping me (inaudible) this moment and what it means for them and so for me, it’s just a reminder of you know it wasn’t that long ago where folks were fighting for civil rights and things of that nature. It’s like all of the things, you know?
Kristi Malzahn: It is. It is. I wondered—
Evan Williams: I’m excited, but I’m also feeling the weight of it.
Kristi Malzahn: Yeah. Well and I think one of the beautiful pieces is, no matter what happens, that can never be taken away from ya. And that’s going in the record books.
Evan Williams: It is. It is.
Kristi Malzahn: You know and that’s a beautiful thing. Because it has been another step forward.
Evan Williams: It is, it is. And it’s beautiful to see my white siblings, brothers and sisters. I went to a luncheon that Carnell spoke at and standing ovation. You know for him being the first Black coach. The love is coming from everywhere.
Kristi Malzahn: So one of the other most beautiful things he’s doing is the transparency and the honesty of, I was listening to one of his, one of the many times I’ve been listening to him talk lately. I’ve listened to him more than I’ve listend to a lot of people lately. Everybody’s listening to him.
Evan Williams: Everybody gets to hear my little country bumpkin.
Kristi Malzahn: He’s so cute. He’s not. But he, talking about sharing with the boys and that he was scared. Yeah I’m a little uncertain and I’m scared. But I think the thing that struck me is if more people understood that that is what the calling is all about. That’s what the calling of coaching is all about. Is loving on, and truly he’s done an incredible job of, I laugh because you and I have talked about it, “Have we trademarked those words? Have we patented? Have you gotten a little trademark on that little phrase?” I told you, they’re going to have it before you even get started. Don’t even think about it.
Evan Williams: I’ve got to try to get him to tell me what he’s going to say before he says it.
Kristi Malzahn: If it comes out of his mouth, it’s theirs. Don’t even say it. But it’s that whole serve, discipline and belief. So serve’s at the top. But the beautiful part with the boys has been the response of seeing a grown man whose been very successful, didn’t have to necessarily come back and work. That wasn’t really the thing. He might have had to stay married but it wasn’t because he was needing to eat. But he has then placed the importance upon what is important. And you hope that our coaches are able to communicate to these kids beyond just a quick community service project here and there. But to truly serve one another by way of being a good teammate. I mean it’s just simple things. But that is an act of service. It’s an act of kindness. It’s an act of love of a sort if you’re serving one another. It’s been fun to see it. And for him to rally it so quickly, it’s just, it’s been a lot of fun.
Evan Williams: It has been. I meanI’m impressed. I watch him at the press conferences and I’m like “That’s my baby!” (laughs)
Kristi Malzahn: Is that the same man I live with? Because I could have sworn he couldn’t come up with a straight statement last week when I asked him what he did with something. (laughs)
Evan Williams: But then again I know him and I’m not surprised because he’s, I mean he is what you see is what you get with him. He is passionate about these kids. He’s always been very passionate not just the ball side of it, but the human side. He, it is in his spirit, he is like we are developing men. He’s like I would not be where I am today if coaches who were before me did not develop me into the man that I am. He feels that weight. He’s like this is what we’re here to do. Everybody is not going to the NFL, OK? They’re just not. We’re not just here to produce NFL players.
Kristi Malzahn: Amen.
Evan Williams: We are here to produce humans. We’re here to produce husbands. We’re producing sons that are going to be better for their parents. He is like all about that.
Kristi Malzahn: Well and that’s what’s relatable even in high school sports. These kids can have a dream and that’s awesome. And you don’t ever want to take that dream away from them. But at the end of the day, what our real job is, and we get graded on the x’s and o’s and we get graded on the wins and losses. But the truth is, we can look back and see our history of these kids that we’ve been involved with and what they’ve turned out to be to determine did I do a good job? Did I do what I was actually called to do? And I think that’s the piece that’s so important that I want to remind since this is mainly directed to coaches’ wives. It applies across the world. In any, I mean it doesn’t matter who you are, you have a purpose and a calling on your life regardless of what that looks like. And it absolutely, everybody, you have a sphere of influence. You do. And so how are you using that influence is a big deal. So I just think is beautiful.
So let’s talk one more fun thing because you were looking awfully, I mean I could— we have a mutual friend who coaches with me who laughs at me because I was like she is looking pretty fly in that little, and she said, “I could never pull that off.” I said, “Oh I would.” In a heart. Beat. Give me that jacket dress whatever it was with that hot belt. It was beautiful. You did a great job. You did good.
Evan Williams: (laughs) Thank you. I give all credit to my stylist.
Kristi Malzahn: And I’ve already seen for next week and I said throw a jacket on and go with it.
Evan Williams: Oh yeah. Oh you know I am.
Kristi Malzahn: Thank god for that fast ahead of time.
Evan Williams: If we’re going to step into this head coaching, interim head coach’s wife, I was like I can give the people what they want. Let me come all the way with it, and my boys included.
Kristi Malzahn: Yes. Yes you can.
Evan Williams: I was like got y’all’s outfits ready. Mama likes this part of it.
Kristi Malzahn: This is the fun stuff.
Evan Williams: Cole is 8 and Cuinn is 6. And Carnell has told this story. It is kind of funny. So when the news broke, the boys were just getting home from school. So I pulled it up, the article, and I let Cole read it. I was just like hey I need you to come read something. And he read it and he was like “Cadillac Williams, interim head coach” and he looked at me and he was like what does this mean? And to be honest, this is my child, he’s got a spirit of — he’s always going to be concerned about his daddy. So at first he looked at me and he was like, but is he going to get fired after this? And that’s just the real trauma of kids of coaches. And he looked at me teary eyed like oh my god but he's going to get fired. And I’m like, no no. it’s interim. Now I was like, we don’t know what’s going to happen at the end of this, but he will not get fired between now and four games.
Kristi Malzahn: End of the season.
Evan Williams: So Cole was like woo, got that out of the way.And he was just like really?!My 6-year-old, he don’t care. That one is OK daddy’s the head coach, great. Can you lease download this video game that I’ve been asking you about, moving on. That’s my 6-year-old. But now that they have experienced the first home game. Because I was like I don’t think they really really get it. They see dad, they saw daddy on TV for that Mississippi State game. That was the first time my parents, they’ve never just watched a whole game straight. Ever. They’re good for checking in here and there but my parents, they watched the whole game.
Kristi Malzahn: I mean their son-in-law is Cadillac! What?!
Evan Williams: Right, right. They watched the whole game. And then when we went to the Texas A&M game. Now I’m embarrassed to tell you this, but an Auburn tradition is Tiger Walk. I did my share of Tiger Walk as a—
Kristi Malzahn: I saw it.
Evan Williams: I know but let me tell you. You know that was the kids’ first Tiger Walk. Ever. I was like, we’re never going to go to a Tiger Walk.
Kristi Malzahn: I know. Because you were that parent, you were that coach’s wife who was like—
Evan Williams: I don’t need to see the players and coaches get off the bus and high five them.
Kristi Malzahn: I’m running in at the last minute and I’m barely hanging in. I’m turning in on two wheels and I’m getting there and none of y’all need to be asking me about what my day looks like because I just need to make sure my phone is charged enough that he can play his games and that’s it. And when I talked to you I said so you’re gonna, and you went, “Oh I guess I am going to have to take them to the game and do the whole thing, aren’t I? Like early. I’m going to have to do the whole thing.
Evan Williams: Early, on time. I was like I’ve got to do the whole thing. But the look on their face, I was like y’all, I don’t want you to be afraid. But they were wide-eyed, walking through that crowd. I don’t know if it’s official but it had to be the biggest Tiger Walk of the year. They got it then. They were like, oh shoot my daddy is the interim head coach. And I mean they were just beaming the whole time. Just so excited and so proud.
But you know your kids are very, they will humble you. So when Carnell after that first day of him being appointed interim head coach, he went to wake Cole up that next morning for school. He was like Cole did you hear the news, I’m interim head coach. He’s like, “Yeah daddy I heard. But it’s only temporary.” And then he was like I’m going back to sleep. I’m like, Boys, your own children.
Kristi Malzahn: It is the piece of the humility that God allows us to have.
Evan Williams: The humility. I was dying. I said your own kids who will check you. Cole was like it was just temporary calm down.
Kristi Malzahn: Don’t get so excited dad. I mean yeah I’m thrilled for you and stuff but we’ll check in and see where things are in a few weeks.
Evan Williams: We’ll check in. They’re loving it now.
Kristi Malzahn: OK I love you.
Evan Williams: Love you!
Kristi Malzahn: We will revisit this in a few months and catch up on lots more because I feel like you and I have a few other things that I would love to talk about in this coaching realm, and I just really wanted to catch it while it was so exciting.
Evan Williams: Yeah I’m glad we finally did. And then maybe we can do the next one in person for real.
Kristi Malzahn: No we will. And you’re going to actually show up.
Evan Williams: I’m going to need a vacation after this, OK.
Kristi Malzahn: Forget vacation. Come down here on your way to your office, taking care of business. We’ve been having some hurricanes.
Evan Williams: The office that blew away!
Kristi Malzahn: We’ve been having some hurricanes.
Evan Williams: Right my office that has been flooded.
Kristi Malzahn: I know it’s really did. It’s gone. She’s down in Tampa and it’s gone. Scary. Alright.
Evan Williams: OK, mama. Love you, bye.
Kristi Malzahn: Talk to you soon. Love you, bye.