Former Giants safety Shaun Williams named head coach at William Paterson

Following 13 years on the William Paterson coaching staff, former Giants safety Shaun Williams has been promoted to the role of head coach of the Pioneers.

"I am truly grateful for the opportunity to lead William Paterson University football," Williams said in a press release. "I look forward to growing this program and making it the premiere destination for student-athletes to grow personally, academically and athletically. I have been a coach at WP for 13 years and understand the challenges and opportunities that we face. Throughout my time at William Paterson I have become a Pioneer and bleed Black and Orange, and I will build this program on pride and accountability.

"I want to thank Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Kristen Foley, Vice President for Student Development Dr. Miki Cammarata and Associate Vice President for Student Development Francisco Diaz for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I would also like to thank the alumni who also supported me throughout this process." 

Williams was a first-round pick (No. 24 overall) by the Giants in the 1998 NFL Draft. He went on to spend eight seasons with the Giants, finishing his Big Blue career with 13 interceptions and 46 pass breakups, the latter of which ranks seventh in franchise history.

The former safety joined the William Paterson coaching staff in 2009 as a part-time assistant coach. He was then promoted to defensive coordinator in 2013, a position he held for the last nine seasons, in addition to working with the team's safeties.

Williams had been filling in as interim head coach throughout the spring after former head coach Dustin Johnson left to join the Villanova coaching staff.

"Coach Williams is the perfect fit to lead our football program at this time," Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Kristen Foley stated. "For the past 13 years, his dedication and commitment to WP have proved invaluable as a recruiter and assistant coach who possesses a special ability to relate to and communicate with people. Coach Williams' clear strategy for competitive excellence in the classroom and on the playing field will move us forward to the next chapter of Pioneer Football and we are excited for the future."

Daniel Bellinger to partake in Tight End University

Giants rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger has received strong reviews for his performance throughout the offseason program.

The fourth-round pick will soon get the opportunity to learn from some of the best at his position, as he has been invited to and will attend Tight End University later this month.

Tight End University is a three-day event at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where 75 tight ends will gather to train and learn from each other.

"I just want to learn from them," Bellinger told Newsday about the event. "I have a long way to go but the biggest thing for me is to learn from them. You grow up watching them and then in college you watch them on tape but now getting an opportunity to either just text them or talk to them . . . I can really get an inside perspective."

The event was originated last year, as San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle led the charge while receiving help from retired TE Greg Olsen and Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce.

50 tight ends ended up attending last year's camp, which has grown significantly in 2022. Even some former tight ends are expected to attend this year, including Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark and possibly Antonio Gates.

"Basically the whole concept is just bring as many as we can get under one roof and just talk ball, be on the field, watch each other run routes, just ask questions, learn from each other, and then just hang out and get to know each other," Kittle said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. 

Tight End University will take place on June 22-24.