A former Alabama player, assistant and candidate for the head coaching job died Tuesday night.
Richard Williamson died of a heart attack in Charlotte, N.C., former Alabama teammate Tommy Brooker confirmed to AL.com.
A player under Bear Bryant who caught Joe Namath's first Alabama touchdown pass, Williamson went on to a long coaching career. He retired in 2010 at age 68 as the receivers coach of the Carolina Panthers.
Williamson was a candidate to be the head coach of the Crimson Tide three times. First, he was a strong name in 1990 when Gene Stallings ultimately replaced Bill Curry. He was again a candidate after Stallings' 1996 retirement and then in 2003 after Mike Price's brief tenure. He interviewed with then-president Robert Witt, as did Sylvester Croom when Mike Shula eventually got the job.
There was always interest when the job came open.
"Why wouldn't I be?'' Williamson said in 1996. "It was my university, it's got to be one of the top jobs in America."
After finishing an All-SEC career in 1962, Williamson was an assistant from 1963-67, then again from 1970-71. He had a 32-34 record in his only college head coaching job with Memphis from 1975-80. He was also the head coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1990-91.
Williamson was an assistant coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, the Bucs, and Cincinnati Bengals before landing with the Panthers in 1995.
Funeral services are set for 2 p.m. ET Friday at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, N.C.