J.D. Williams graduated from Walker High School and the University of North Alabama. After graduating college, he spent two years as an assistant coach at Curry High School.

Williams first head coaching assignment came at Lynn High School in 1986. His only team there finished the year with a 1-9 record. His next stop came at T.W. Martin for the 1987-88 seasons and a 12-11 slate with two playoff appearances.

Coach Williams landed at Parrish High School in 1989 where he coached the Tornados to a 45-17 record over the next five seasons. His teams won four region crowns along the way. His 1992 squad went 12-3 and lost to Billingsley 13-12 in State Championship game.

Williams became the head football coach at Good Hope High School in 1994 for six years. He built the Raiders into a Class 3A power in a mere three years. In his first two seasons, the Raiders went 1-19, but things quickly turned around.

His third season saw the Raiders advance to the playoffs where they knocked off undefeated, second-ranked West Morgan in the first round of the playoffs. The team finished the season 7-5.

Beginning in 1997, the Raiders finished 13-1, 9-3 and 10-1. His 1997 team set the Cullman County record for most wins in a season and advanced to the state semi-finals. Good Hope lost to Colbert County in the state playoffs. Colbert County scored the winning touchdown with six seconds to go in the game.

Coach Williams was named the Cullman Times Coach of the Year three straight seasons (1996, 97 and 98).

He was named the head football coach at Curry High School in Walker County in 2000. Williams was not able to successfully turn around the Yellow Jackets. His four-year tenure at Curry was marred by defeat, turnovers and injuries. The Yellow Jackets went 2-8 in his first season and followed with a 0-10 season in 2001.

After 24 years of coaching, Williams retired following the 2003 season. He had been a head coach for 17 years and had been coaching football for 24 years. His overall football record is 103-92.

Williams teams also went 14-11 in the playoffs. Coach Williams was named the Coach of the Year by the Alabama Sports Writers Association in 1992. After his retirement from coaching, he served as the principle at Parrish elementary school.