Williams takes the reigns of the USD women’s team
Amy Williams is no stranger to transition.
In 2007, Williams was hired as the inaugural head coach of the women’s basketball team at Rodgers State in Claremore, Okla.
Williams played a crucial role in building the program from the ground up.
In fact, by the time practice began in fall 2007, equipment was so low that there was not a single woman’s sized basketball on campus.
“It was challenging,” Williams said. “My staff and I had to do everything from recruiting players into a brand new program to ordering equipment, and we had to do it quickly.”
In June, after her fifth year as head coach of the Hillcats, Williams was hired as head coach of the University of South Dakota, replacing former head coach Ryun Williams who took the same position at Colorado State University.
Williams said her experience at Rodgers State as well as an experienced team has helped her make the transition to USD.
“We also have a team that has tasted winning.” Williams said. “They are just hungry for more, which has made things nice because now I can look to the leadership in kids who have been there, and that’s a luxury I wasn’t granted initially at (Rodgers State).”
While Williams may be no stranger to transition, her team is no stranger to winning.
In 2011-12, the Coyote women finished the regular season with a 22-7 record, earning themselves a bid into the WNIT tournament where they fell to Colorado in the second round.
With the departure of several key senior standouts, the Coyote were faced with a problem of identity headed into the 2012-13. A problem, current players say, is no issue for the high-energy Williams.
“Everything has changed,” senior Tempestt Wilson said. “She’s very intense and I love that about her. I like to get after it and just be a dog out there. If you’re doing something wrong, she really gets after you. She explains it but its not to discourage you. Its just to tell you what you’re doing wrong is wrong and what you’re doing right is right.”
Williams said her activeness during practices and games comes from her attitude toward the game of basketball.
“I don’t purposefully focus on being involved,” Williams said. “I definitely have a lot of passion, and I like to pass that on to my players.”
A Spearfish, S.D. native, Williams grew up a coach’s daughter, with her father coaching men’s and women’s basketball at Spearfish and Madison High Schools.
After graduating from the University of Nebraska in 1998, Williams earned a graduate degree in sports administration from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2002.
Her coaching career began at the University of Texas-San Antonio where she was the assistant coach for women’s basketball during the 2000-01 season.
Assistant positions at Oklahoma State University and Tulsa University led up to her hiring at Rodgers State in 2007.
During her five years as coach for the Hillcats, Williams won 67.5 percent of her games and coached her team all the way to quarterfinals of the NAIA National Tournament in 2012.
However, once she was offered the job as head coach for the Coyotes in June, she didn’t hesitate.
Since her hiring, Williams has been adamant on putting the best team on court once the season begins Nov. 9.
Luckily for her, she has some great help along the way.
“This coaching staff has definitely made this challenge much simpler,” Williams said. “They are a great mix of people I’ve brought with me from Rodgers State who bring the right intensity, and the coaches already in place have been a huge help, as well.”
As for her players, she said she couldn’t ask for a better group to walk into her first season with.
“Players that are buying in and working hard,” Williams said. “They will continue to raise the bar with this program.”
Senior Alexis Yackley is one of the few returning Coyote starters, and her presence on the court will be an encouragement for Williams.
“It’s a new coach, a new system,” Yackley said. “We’re doing our best to put in what we need for these first few games, and as the year goes on, we’ll keep putting new stuff in and get better with what we already have.”
At the end of the day, Williams just loves to coach.
“What I love about this job is I get this unique opportunity to positively impact young women,” Williams said. “To see and teach these girls how to be apart of a team and important life lessons is the greatest privilege for me.”
