Gregg Williams has been reinstated by the NFL after serving a suspension for his role in the New Orleans Saints' bounty scandal, allowing him to be officially named to the Tennessee Titans coaching staff.
According to ESPN.com, the NFL ended Williams' indefinite suspension on Thursday and told the Titans that they were now permitted to hire him. The Titans put out a release and said that he was hired as a senior assistant coach for its defense.
"He will bring a great deal of defensive knowledge and energy to our staff. The decision to bring him here only came after going through a thoughtful and thorough process," Titans coach Mike Munchak said in a statement.
Roger Goodell said that Williams accepted responsibility for his actions in the bounty scandal and that Williams must meet all league rules and will be subject to "periodic monitoring to confirm his compliance."
The Titans were one of the worst defenses in the league, ranking 26th in passing yards allowed and 24th in rushing yards allowed per game. Williams is a defensive guru and will be able to help them improve.
The whole bounty probe by the NFL began last year when the league found evidence of a program ran by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Four players, including linebacker Jonathan Vilma and Scott Fujita, were suspended by Roger Goodell for their alleged involvement.
The probe also resulted in the suspensions of Payton for a year, as well as general manager Mickey Loomis for eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games. Vitt led the team in Payton's absence after his suspension was finished. Aaron Kromer started the season as coach for Vitt.
The Saints started the season 0-4 and could not find a way to dig out of the hole, despite winning five of the next six games. The team went 37-11 record from 2009-2011 under Payton and struggled greatly on defense in 2012. All the players went through a range of issues with their suspensions, including getting them overturned by an appeals panel before they were reinstated. The NFL found that the program was a pay scheme that rewarded players for injuring opponents.
The league announced earlier last year that they had obtained a wide range of information detailing a bounty system by the Saints that stretched from the 2009 season to 2011.
The report said that up to 27 Saints players were involved and that it was organized and run by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. Some of the claims included bounties on quarterbacks Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, as well as cash payouts for injuries and big hits.
The Saints had a difficult season without their primary coaching staff, finishing 7-9 and out of the playoffs. The team was ranked first in passing behind quarterback Drew Brees, but were 25th in rushing and in the bottom of the league on defense, ranked 31st in passing and 32nd in rushing, giving up 147 yards per game.
