Elberta High School has parted ways with second-year head football coach Joel Williams as of Monday, Williams confirmed to Gulf Coast Media.

A veteran coach who has been part of staffs at the collegiate and professional levels, Williams took over the program during the summer of 2025 and saw his first team finish with an 0-10 overall record that fall.

"During the interview process a year and a half ago, a long-term commitment was asked for," Williams said. "I was hired in June with no offseason, and we had just 28 players. Then our next year, we grew to 70, and we were about to start this next offseason program with 110-120 players."

Of those 70 players, 55 of them were not old enough to drive according to Williams, and he added that eight and ninth graders started in every game this past season.

In 2026, the Warriors showed signs of improvement and earned the first victory of Williams' tenure, a 52-18 win at Chickasaw, on Sept. 25. That point total was the program's most-ever scored in a single game, which was made even more impressive by the fact that the team was dealing with a myriad of injuries by that point.

"We lost both our running backs by the fifth week, and we played the last three games of the season without a quarterback," Williams said. "So I'm really, really proud of our player development, and we have a tremendous culture and environment here."

To that point, Williams emphasized how the academic standing of his team was completely reserved in two years, and three of his players signed to further their careers at Division III schools.

Of course, Williams also faced a grueling region slate in each of his two years at the helm. Elberta played at the 5A level in '25 and '26, but classification shifts prompted a change in area, with the Warriors having to face the likes of Williamson, Vigor and UMS-Wright before battling teams like Gulf Shores, Spanish Fort and Saraland the following year.

"I want to say a big thank you to my wife, Martha, who worked absolutely for free as our Director of Football Operations," Williams said. "She ran the equipment room and fed our players every day, and I'd like to say a thank you to all the moms that helped out in our program."

The coach also shared an emphatic thank you to the Island Church for being part of the team's journey and hosting services every Wednesday.

"I've been fortunate in my career that this is the first time I've been let go," Williams said. "46 years, with 20 of it in college and pro football, and I've never been let go until now."

Prior to Williams arriving at Elberta,  the program had yet to win more than three games in a season with two other head coaches.

The Warriors first began playing football in 2018, and their combined record since then stands at 16-68.

"We did things the right way with no shortcuts," Williams said.