Bio

University of Great Falls (MT) '07

Bemidji State (MN) '13 

Coach Williamson comes to DWU after completing his 5th season as the head coach of the University of Saint Katherine men’s basketball program and his third year as an Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance and Eligibility. Williamson also taught courses in the Kinesiology department at USK. Outside of these duties Coach Williamson fund raised for the USK athletic department via individual sponsorships to help improve the USK sports complex.

In 2024 the Firebirds qualified for their second NAIA National Tournament with their highest seed to date for a national tournament as a 14-seed. The birds’ fell just short of the first round upset with a 74-76 loss at host and #3 seed Arizona Christian University. The Firebirds have continued their winning ways with setting the new USK all-time win record in a season with a 23-9 overall record and 16-7 in Cal Pac competition, while finishing 3^rd overall in league play and advancing the Cal Pac tournament championship game that secure the automatic NAIA qualifying bid. Individually, Xavier Cooper was named the Cal Pac Newcomer of the Year, 1^st Team Cal Pac and was a member of the Cal Pac All Defensive team. Senior wing Chris Harper was named 6^th Man of the Year and 1^st Team Cal Pac. Junior guard Tampa Scott was selected honorable mention. During the season three Birds’ reached the 1000 career scoring milestones in Chris Harper, Xavier Cooper and Dorian Harris. Academically the team continued to pursue greatness in the classroom with another Fall term GPA above 3.3 and in the Spring term would post their highest Team GPA ever at a 3.56. Three student-athletes were selected as Daktonics scholar-athletes and four student-athletes qualifying for the CSC All-Academic District Teams. Senior post David Odinigwe was selected to the Cal Pac Winter academic team and was USK’s 2024 graduating class Valedictorian. The Firebirds would also have 13 individual student-athletes selected to the NABC Honor Court and the team would again achieve the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for the 5^th year in a row.

The 2023 firebirds broke over 35 overall university records for men’s basketball. The firebirds won a program best-ever 20 wins, finishing the season 20-8 overall and a record setting 16-4 in the Cal Pac conference season finishing in second place. Cesar Meza and Jacob Durham both garnered Cal Pac first team honors and Meza also took home a spot on the Cal Pac All-Defense team. Chris Harper captured a spot on the Cal Pac second team. A USK first also happened when Maur Tablada earned Cal Pac freshman of the year and alongside backcourt duo Bryan Baptiste gained Cal Pac honorable mention. Beyond the court the firebirds again did amazing off the court with a Fall GPA of 3.42 overall and Cal Pac All-Academic
team members Cesar Meza and Bryan Baptiste. Over 15 more individual academic honors were taken home by individual members of USK’s basketball team from the NABC honor court and NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athletes awards.

The 2021-22 record-setting Firebirds finished the season with a university best record of 19-8 overall and 13-1 in Cal Pac contests and finished 1st place in the regular season conference going 11-1. This was USK’s first ever men’s basketball conference title and National Tournament appearance at the NAIA level. The 2021-22 university-based enrollment represented one of the smallest enrollments to ever qualify for the NAIA national tournament in the sport of men’s basketball. Individually Freshman Kody Clouet was a unanimous 1st team All Cal Pac player, while senior Cesar Meza, sophomore Bryan Baptiste and junior Jacob Durham were all decorated as Honorable Mention Cal Pac players. The team boasted the Cal Pac conferences top defensive team and NAIA’s top 42nd ranked overall defensive team in the country. The Firebirds were also in the top 15 of NAIA in fewest turnovers per game.

The 2021-22 basketball team also raked in the academic awards winning the highest team GPA award at USK with a 3.5 overall team GPA. The team also won the 2022 NABC’s Team Academic Excellence Award for the 3 rd straight year. Individually Kody Clouet and Bryan Baptiste were named to the Cal Pac winter academic team and 7 players were named to the NABC honor court. Additionally, Kody Clouet, Javier Gallardo, Cesar Meza, Tavon Tarpley and Ken Fukuda were all named NAIA scholar- athletes.

In Williamson’s second season with the Firebirds (COVID-19), the program operated as successfully as any college basketball program in Southern California during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Firebirds played 10 NCAA Division 1 games, including 2020 post-season tournament teams San Diego State University, UC Santa Barbara, Southern Utah and CBI champions Pepperdine with NBA drafted player Kessler Edwards. Coach Williamson gave his student-athletes the best basketball and student experience possible during COVID-19 by providing these amazing student- athlete experiences and a new court to host home games at (a first for USK basketball) USK finished the regular NAIA season with an overall record of 6-6 (nine of those 12 games were against ranked and/or national tournament teams). The Firebirds would fall just one point short of qualifying for the NAIA national tournament in the Cal Pac tournament. Individually Maurice Woods and Jesus Hernandez were named to the Cal Pac All-Conference team. Woods was also selected to the Cal Pac All-Tournament team. Woods was also named Cal Pac Player of the Week and nominated twice as a NAIA national player of the week.

The basketball program's academic success continued in 2020-21 with an overall team GPA of 3.23 for the entire year and another NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. The team also had seven players named to the NABC honor court and a Cal Pac conference-high three players named to the winter All-Academic team.

Despite taking the reins of the program with just under two months until the start of the semester, Williamson was able to put together a roster that would go on to post a program then-best record of 15-10. Under Williamson, the Firebirds earned their first ever postseason berth, qualifying for the NCCAA D1 National Tournament with a 7-0 West Region record while winning NCCAA West Region. The Firebirds rode a 12-game winning streak to end the season, one of 55 team and individual records that were set in the 2019-2020 season, earning them an NABC Team of the Week award along the way for their historic win over then nationally ranked No. 9 The Master's. Williamson would go on to be named NCCAA West Region Coach of the Year with and junior Gabe Knight being named NCCAA West Region Player of the Year and a NCCAA D1 2nd team All-American. Senior Nygil Carr was also named to the NCCAA West Region 1st team.

On top of their success on the court, the Firebirds had a stellar first year off the court as they racked up the academic accolades, posting a 3.18 Team GPA for the academic year, as well as tallying seven NCCAA Scholar-Athletes and seven NABC Honor Court student-athletes. As a team, the Firebirds also received the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award for their performance in the classroom. Prior to USK and NAIA, Williamson was well acquainted with NCAA Division II, having spent time at the formerly name Dixie State (now NCAA D1 Utah Tech), University of Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State. Most recently prior to joining the Firebirds, he spent the 2018-2019 season as the assistant coach at CSU San Marcos, where he aided in rebuilding the roster including adding the team’s top 3 statistical scoring leaders. Williamson also had the unique opportunity to be the acting-head coach in the final two games of the 2018-19 season winning both contests versus CSU-Eastbay and CSU-Monterey Bay.

While assisting at Dixie, the team posted a 37-18 record over a two-year span and earned themselves a PacWest Co-Championship and an NCAA Tournament Appearance and received a NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. During his two years at Dixie, Williamson would go on to recruit in, develop or coach one NCAA Division II All-American (Trevor Hill), two NABC 1st Team All-Region players (Trevor Hill & Mark Ogden) and seven total PacWest All-Conference nominations. At the University of Minnesota-Duluth, spending 2012-2015 with the Bulldogs, the team would double their win count over a two-year span and earn a NABC Team Academic Excellence Award (2015) along the way for maintaining a 3.0+ GPA all year. While rebuilding UMD’s basketball program Williamson helped recruit in, develop or coach two NABC All-Region players (Pierre Newton & Brett Ervin) and six total NSIC All- Conference nominations.

Williamson spent 2010-2012 with Bemidji State as an assistant. The 2012 season in particular was a highlight, as the Beavers posted a university best-ever basketball record of 22-9, with a 16-6 conference record (best-ever at BSU) to win the NSIC, as well as making it to the NCAA Division II Tournament for only the second time in BSU basketball history. Williamson’s recruiting again showed its ability to develop talent as he recruited-in with him to BSU, James Ellisor (Williamson coached Ellisor at Glendale (AZ) CC).

Ellisor who would go on to become the 2012 Daktronics NCAA Division II National Player of the Year, NABC Central Region Player of the Year, and NSIC Player of the Year. Ellisor went on to multiple NBA pre-draft workouts and the NBA summer league. Williamson in 2012 signed Dermaine Crockrell who would be named the 2012 NSIC’s Newcomer of the Year. While at BSU Williamson helped aid in the development of Bryce Tesdhal as well who became the NSIC conference All-Time leader in assist history. While at BSU, in total Williamson coached or recruited-in a total of seven NSIC All-Conference nominations.

Before Bemidji State University coach Williamson had three prior stops at Glendale (AZ) community college (2010-11) as an assistant coach, Cathedral Catholic high school (head varsity coach-2008-09) and Kofa high school (Yuma, AZ). While at Cathedral Williamson would lead the Dons to a 17-14 record, a CIF-SD championship appearance and a CIF DIII state tournament appearance. While at Kofa, Williamson led the Kings to their only State Final Four appearance in school with a school best-ever 21-11 overall record and a Gila Valley Region Championship. Williamson was named Gila Valley Region Coach of the Year. As an athlete Williamson played both basketball and golf collegiately at NAIA University of Great Falls (now known as University of Providence (MT)). Williamson played both sports for Steve Silsby and Williamson was an Academic All-American as a senior in 2007. Coach Williamson holds his Master’s of Science degree in Sports Studies (Administration & Kinesiology) from Bemidji State University (2013) and earned his Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the University of Providence in Secondary Education (7- 12); Health & Physical Education.

Coach Williamson currently resides in Mitchell with his wife, Vanessa and two dogs Ponche' and Soda.

Williamson’s Head Coaching Year-by-Year in NAIA

2019-20     15-10 (.600); 7-0 NCCAA West Region – Qualified for NCCAA D1 National Tournament

2020-21     6-6 (.500) – COVID-19 season

2021-22     19-9 (.679); 13-1 Cal Pac – Cal Pac Champions - Qualified for NAIA National Tournament

2022-23     20-8 (.714); 16-5 Cal Pac

2023-24     23-9 (.719); 16-7 Cal Pac – Cal Pac Runner-Ups - Qualified for NAIA National Tournament

2024-25     20-10 (.667); 13-7 GPAC - Qualified for GPAC Tournament - Qualified for NAIA National Tournament

Totals        103-52 (.664)