Indoor football: Williams steps down as Roughnecks coach

Calling it an offer he couldn’t refuse, Chris Williams stepped down as the head coach of the West Texas Roughnecks to become the head coach of the expansion Indoor Football League team in Albuquerque, N.M. The Roughnecks played in the Indoor Football League last season, but will be part of the Lone Star Football League in 2012.

Williams said he accepted the new job within the last two weeks.           

“It’s something that I thought might be interesting to try with a market that size,” Williams said.  “I thought I’d give it a whirl.”

He added: “It was a good offer. I thought it’d be best for me and my family.”

Albuquerque had a population of 545,852 as of the 2010 census.

Since he became the Roughnecks coach in 2004, Williams led the team to a 70-45 record and a title in the Intense Football League. He made the playoffs in seven of his eight seasons at the helm and guided the Roughnecks to one undefeated regular season.

STORY: Joel A. Erickson says: Williams keeps Roughnecks in contention every year

In 2011 the Roughnecks went 10-4 in the regular season and then lost to the Tri-Cities Fever in the postseason.

“This time here for me is something I’ll never forget and I appreciate a lot of people,” Williams said.

Williams said he wasn’t planning on leaving Odessa, but that changed once he had a chance to speak with the Albuquerque organization. Dart Clark, a former front office executive with the Roughnecks, is a part owner of the expansion team, according to Williams.

Bryant Grove, the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach last season with the Roughnecks, also will be part of Williams’ coaching staff in Albuquerque, Williams said.

The Roughnecks are scheduled to announce their new head coach at a press conference Thursday afternoon.

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