Will Gilchrist enters his first season as an assistant football coach at Samford.
Gilchrist comes to Samford after spending the last three seasons working with Clemson’s special teams unit.
After joining the program as a player development assistant for special teams in 2023, he was promoted to Director of Special Teams in 2024, a season in which placekicker Nolan Hauser was selected as an FWAA Freshman All-American and collected National Freshman Special Teams Player of the Year honors from the organization.
Prior to spending the 2021-22 seasons coaching at Evangelical Christian School outside of Memphis, Tenn., Gilchrist served as a special teams analyst at USF, including under former Clemson offensive coordinator Jeff Scott in 2020. He previously spent two seasons at Arkansas, joining the program as Associate Director of Player Personnel in 2018 before transitioning to a defensive graduate assistant role in 2019.
Gilchrist began his coaching career as Offensive Coordinator/Quarterback Coach at Hardin Country High School in his hometown of Savannah, Tenn. Hardin County made playoff appearances in all four of his seasons there from 2014-17 and won a region championship in 2014.
Gilchrist played at Memphis from 2009-12. He served on special teams in seven games during the 2011 season. After switching from quarterback to wide receiver in 2012, he saw action at wide receiver in the 2012 season. Gilchrist graduated magna cum laude in sports and leisure management.
Coming out of high school, Gilchrist was rated as the No. 1 quarterback in Tennessee and was a Mr. Football finalist in 2008. He also played basketball at Hardin County, scoring more than 1,000 points and dishing out over 500 assists. He is married to his wife, Meredith, with whom he has two children — son, Hall, and daughter, Guinn.
