Northwestern State University of Louisana

In three seasons coaching the Northwestern State running backs, Will Weaver has shown the ability to mold talent into production.

Perhaps his biggest success story is De’Mard Llorens, who Weaver helped mentor from a walk-on to the No. 10 all-time rusher in school history. Llorens also finished his career tied for fourth in career rushing touchdowns and 10th in scoring. 

Headed by Llorens, Weaver’s stable of running backs accounted for 1,847 yards and 16 touchdowns on 307 carries in 2016, averaging better than 6 yards per carry. 

In 2017, Weaver has added tight ends coach to his resume, readjusting to a position he first held when he arrived in Natchitoches in 2013.  

Weaver, who has spent time coaching both sides of the ball, also has turned in impressive work on the recruiting trail, helping the Demons nab a string of impressive signing classes.

In two seasons as Northwestern State’s running backs coach, Weaver has proven adept at mixing and matching a stable of backs with a variety of running styles.

Under Weaver’s tutelage, De’Mard Llorens finished his career in the school’s top 10 in all-time rushing. Llorens tied the school single-game rushing touchdown mark as a junior, scoring four times at Nicholls on Halloween 2015.

Llorens and Daniel Taylor each had more than 100 carries, becoming the first NSU running back duo to do so since 2009. The 2,130 rushing yards were the most by a Demons team since 2007 (2,139). 

In his first season as the running backs coach, Weaver balanced a stable of talented backs, mixing and matching hard-charging Garrett Atzenweiler and Llorens with big-play threats Taylor and Ronald Green to create a talented, versatile attack.

Weaver helped mold his charges into well-rounded backs, as Atzenweiler, Llorens and Taylor all caught double-figure passes and combined for four receiving touchdowns.  

Weaver moved to running backs coach in 2014 after overseeing the tight ends in 2013 as the NSU offense shattered passing records with Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year Zach Adkins at quarterback.

Weaver’s troops were powerful blockers and reliable receivers who also played a role in the Demons being the least penalized team in Southland Conference competition in 2013. 

He joined the Demons after serving on staffs at Southern Mississippi, Alabama-Birmingham and Valdosta State.

Weaver has worked on both sides of the ball and on special teams already in his coaching career, and was part of a staff that helped his alma mater, Valdosta State, win the 2007 Division II national championship.

In 2012 under Ellis Johnson at USM, Weaver was a defensive graduate assistant working with the secondary, focusing on the safeties. He also assisted in all special teams game planning. 

In 2011 at UAB, he was an offensive GA working with tight ends and assisted with special teams game planning, coaching punt team, punt block and kickoff return. 

A year earlier with the Blazers, Weaver worked on the defensive side, helping coach the safeties. He began working with the punt and punt block teams. 

He was on the Valdosta State staff in 2007-09, beginning his career working with the linebackers in the national championship season. He worked with punt, kickoff and kickoff return teams. 

In 2008-09, he was an assistant secondary coach and also coached the specialists, helping develop all-conference winners at deep snapper and punter. He coached the safeties in 2008 and the entire secondary in the 2009 spring practice. He also coached all special teams and was the junior varsity head coach and defensive coordinator. 

Weaver was a two-year letterman as a long snapper in 2005-06 at Valdosta State and in 2003-04 at Itawamba (Miss.) Community College. 

He was born July 7, 1984.  He was raised in Houston, Miss., and attended Houston High School.