Women's Basketball: Greg Williams Named To Head Owls Program
5/25/2005
New Rice Head Women's Basketball Coach Greg Williams |
HOUSTON -- Greg Williams, a Rice graduate who has been a head coach at two major colleges and in three professional leagues, will be the new head women's basketball coach for the Owls, athletic director Bobby May announced Wednesday.
"I'm thrilled and honored to be returning to my alma mater as head coach," Williams said. "Cristy McKinney and her staff established a winning tradition in women's basketball at Rice, and my goal will be to continue that tradition."
"Greg's background as a Rice graduate with a solid coaching career in women's basketball at the collegiate and professional levels makes him a special addition to our university," said May. "We believe he has the energy, skill and experience necessary to take our women's basketball program to even greater heights in Conference USA."
Williams was a three-year lettermen for the Owls under coach Don Knodel in 1967-69, earning all-Southwest Conference honors in '69. After receiving his Rice degree in physical education in 1970, he immediately joined the men's staff at Rice under Knodel, helping the Owls to the SWC championship in '70 as an assistant coach.
After six seasons as an Owl assistant and two in private business, Williams rejoined Knodel as an assistant with the Houston Angels in the Women's Professional Basketball League. He got his first head coaching position in 1980 with the WPBL's Dallas Diamonds, earning the league's coach of the year honors in 1981.
After two years as a volunteer assistant at SMU, Wiliams returned to the professional ranks in 1984 as the coach of the new Dallas Diamonds in the Women's American Basketball Association. In his only season with these Diamonds, he led the squad to the WABA title and won his second coach of the year award.
Williams moved back to Houston in 1985 when he was named the head coach at the University of Houston. Among his accomplishments at UH was an upset of third-ranked Louisiana Tech in 1985-86, leading to the Cougars' first top-20 ranking; and the 1987-88 squad which went 22-7 with the school's first NCAA tournament appearance.
He took the reins of the women's program at Colorado State University in 1990, leading the Rams to their first NCAA tournament in '96 with the school's first Western Athletic Conference championship. He won another coach of the year honor that season, adding the WBCA region seven award. CSU finished 24th in the nation in the final USA Today coaches' poll that season.
Williams' successes on the college level made him a natural when the WNBA started play in 1997. First, he was an assistant with the Utah Starzz, then added director of scouting duties when he moved to the Detroit Shock in '98. Two years later, he became the Shock's head coach and director of player personnel.
He returned to the college ranks in 2003 as an assistant at the University of Dayton. As an aide to head coach Jim Jabir, the Flyers had the fourth-best increase in wins (nine) in the nation in 2004-05.
At Rice, Williams replaces McKinney, who became the head coach at Clemson last month. Under her guidance, the Owls won the 2005 WAC tournament title and the program's second NCAA bid with a school-record 24-9 record. Twelve letterwinners from that team will return for the Owls' first season in C-USA in 2005-06. |
