KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee women’s basketball head coach Kellie Harper has announced the hiring of one of the nation’s top coaches and elite recruiters, adding Eastern Kentucky head coach and veteran NCAA Division I assistant Samantha Williams to the Lady Vol staff as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on Saturday.
Williams, who impressively addressed a major rebuilding job with the Colonel women’s program in Richmond, is highly-regarded for her work with backcourt players and for attracting top players to join nationally-prominent programs, just as she did as an assistant at Louisville (2011-19) and Duke (2007-11) before being chosen for the head coaching job at EKU.
“I am pleased to welcome Samantha Williams to the Lady Vol program,” Harper said. “Sam, whom I have known for a long time, is a good person with high character. She will be a great fit with our staff and a wonderful mentor and resource for our student-athletes. She is a well-connected and highly-respected recruiter, but she also offers a great presence on the court with extensive experience in building relationships, developing players and implementing game plans.
“I have enjoyed following her career from afar, thinking how great it would be to work with her. We now have that opportunity, and I look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together as a staff.”
After running her own program for two seasons and seeing what Harper was building in Knoxville, Williams said she was excited to play a role in helping the Lady Vols take the next step forward.
“I am excited and honored to join Kellie and the Lady Vol family,” Williams said. “I’ve always admired Kellie’s character, drive and passion for her players. We share a common trait in valuing loyalty and trust. I’m also excited to work with her in developing strong young women. Kellie is a proven winner, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to work alongside her.
“When you talk about women’s basketball, all roads lead through Knoxville, Tennessee. I know the history of the Lady Vol program, and I understand what the standard of excellence is in wearing the Lady Vol uniform. Things have come full circle for me, as I have always had a vision of being a Lady Vol ever since Pat Summitt called me in ninth grade. Coming to Tennessee is truly a dream come true, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
At EKU, Williams inherited a program that was 2-27 overall and 0-18 in the Ohio Valley Conference the year before she arrived, and she led the Colonels to 20 victories over the past two years. In her first season, Williams directed one of the biggest turnarounds in Division I basketball, as Eastern won 11 games in 2019-20, nine more than the year before. It was the third-best turnaround in the nation and the largest win improvement by any first-year head coach.
The Colonels finished 11-18, 5-13 in the OVC in 2019-20 and were 9-15, 8-12 in the OVC during 2020-21’s COVID-impacted season. Williams’ final unit at EKU demonstrated continued growth and competitiveness despite a schedule that featured three ranked teams in Louisville, Indiana and Northwestern, and a roster of 13 players, laden with seven freshmen she and her staff had recruited.
While serving as assistant head coach to Jeff Walz in Louisville from 2011-19, Williams helped guide the Cardinals to eight consecutive NCAA appearances. During her time there, Williams assisted U of L in reaching the Final Four twice, including an appearance in the 2013 national championship game, making four trips to the Elite 8 and advancing to the Sweet 16 six times. Louisville compiled a 236-55 record and six top-10 finishes in the national polls during her tenure.
In 2018-19, U of L was 32-4, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, won a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championship for the second straight season, was ranked fifth in the nation and played in the Elite Eight.
Williams coached four WNBA Draft picks at Louisville. She also sought and signed the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class in 2015, the No. 6 ranked class in 2016 and the fourth ranked class in 2017. Between 2014 and 2017, Williams and the Louisville staff welcomed nine McDonald’s All-Americans to their program.
Assisting the backcourt players, Williams helped Louisville chart five straight years with a top-40 ranking in shooting percentage. The Cardinals ranked seventh in the nation in 2017-18 at 48.2 percent.
Prior to her time at Louisville, Williams was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Duke on Joanne P. McCallie’s staff from 2007-11. She helped the Blue Devils capture two ACC regular season championships, two ACC Tournament titles and make two appearances in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight.
Williams was instrumental in Duke compiling three top-five recruiting classes, including the No. 1 class in the nation in 2009-10. She worked primarily with the team’s perimeter players, developing a pair of All-Americans who were picked in the first two rounds of the WNBA Draft.
While working alongside Doug Bruno at DePaul as an assistant and recruiting coordinator from 2004-07, Williams helped the Blue Demons through the most successful period in school history, including three-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and the program’s first NCAA Sweet 16 berth in 2006. The program achieved a 72-25 record (.742 winning percentage) during her time in Chicago.
Prior to her stint at DePaul, the 1996 Auburn graduate returned to her alma mater and spent the 2003-04 campaign as an assistant on the Plains working alongside her college coach Joe Ciampi in his final season. The Tigers posted a 22-9 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, with Williams helping mentor a pair of All-SEC (coaches and AP) selections during that campaign.
Williams began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Butler during the 1998-99 season. In 2002-03 she served as an assistant coach at Columbus State University, helping the Cougars to a 28-4 record, a Peach Belt Conference regular season championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Louisville, Kentucky, native was a four-year starter on the court at Auburn from 1992-96, serving as co-captain as a junior and a senior. She led Auburn to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 trips and an Elite 8 berth. Williams set the program record for career three-point field goals (161), and she finished her career with 1,106 points, 495 rebounds and 323 assists.
While at Auburn, Williams played for the U.S. Junior National Team that won the bronze medal at the R. William Jones Cup in Taipei, Taiwan.
After her collegiate career, Williams played one season of professional basketball in the American Basketball League with the San Jose Lasers (1996-97).
Williams was a first-team Parade, and Street and Smith All-American, in addition to a USA Today Super 25 honoree, while playing basketball at DuPont Manual High School in Louisville.
-UT Athletics
