Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- bdwilliams@ia.ua.edu
- Phone:
- 205-348-7077
Brooks Williams is entering her third season as an assistant coach at The University of Alabama and works primarily with the perimeters, while assisting with recruiting and scouting.
Last season, Williams helped the Crimson Tide reach the 20-win milestone for the second consecutive year and advance to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals in back-to-back campaigns. Alabama also notched its first victory in Knoxville against Tennessee.
Three Tide seniors in Hannah Cook, Meoshonti Knight and Ashley Williams each reached 1,000 career points, marking the first time the program has ever had three on the same team at one time. Cook, who also led the team in scoring as a sophomore, junior and senior, finished her career ranked No. 8 in program history in points (1,468), No. 1 in three-point field goal attempts (781) and No. 4 in makes (262).
In Williams’ first year in Tuscaloosa, the Tide collected 22 wins, marking the most an Alabama team has won since the 1997-98 season. The Tide went deep into the postseason, advancing to both the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament and the Women's National Invitation Tournament, both of which were first in over a decade.
Jordan Lewis, who started every game at the point, was named SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press, becoming the first to earn the honor in program hisory. She also earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team and was SEC Freshman of the Week five times. Lewis finished the season ranked fifth in the league in assists per game and 19th in minutes played, the highest of any freshman in those categories. Additionally, Cook ranked No. 1 in every three-point category in the SEC, including percentage, makes, makes per game and attempts.
Prior to arriving at the Capstone, Williams spent nine years as head coach at McNeese State University. Williams, the 2011 Southland Conference Coach of the Year and the Cowgirls' all-time winningest coach with 161 victories, took over a program that had not produced a winning record in nearly 10 years and guided McNeese to six consecutive postseason appearances, two of which were in the NCAA tournament. She led the Cowgirls to four 20-win seasons in the last six years and the Southland Conference Championship in 2011 and 2012.
Under her watch, McNeese had 18 All-Southland Conference selections, eight all-tournament team honorees, including a pair of Southland Conference Tournament MVPs and one Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year. Her student-athletes have been equally successful in the classroom, garnering four Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year awards and 10 all-academic team selections. In addition, Williams' squads have a 100 percent graduation rate.
Like Curry, Williams was instrumental in growing the women's basketball fan base and made it a priority to get out in the Lake Charles community. Since 2010, attendance at home games more than tripled, and on Dec. 16, 2011, the Cowgirls had a top-10 crowd on hand to watch their game against LSU. Williams and her teams participated in a variety of community service activities including Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, the American Cancer Society Walk, Toys for Tots and the Ethel Precht Breast Cancer Walk, just to name a few.
In 2014, senior Netanya Jones was one of only 10 to receive national recognition with a spot on the Allstate/WBCA Good Works Team. Williams has also been personally recognized for her efforts in the community as she received the President's Award for outstanding community service from McNeese in 2013 and was also recognized by Toys for Tots Southwest Louisiana in 2010.
Prior to taking over at McNeese in 2007, Williams served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Southern Miss for three seasons. Other coaching stops include Memphis (2003-04), St. Thomas More High School (2003), Arkansas-Little Rock (2000-03), AAU Mississippi Pride (2000) and AAU Acadiana Stars (1995-99).
Williams graduated from Mississippi State in 2000 with a degree from the College of Education where she majored in sport communication. She was a member of the women's basketball program, however her Lady Bulldog career was cut short due to injuries.
The Jennings, La., native is married to Tyler Williams, and the couple has one son, Griffin.
