Samantha Williams will not be returning as the Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball head coach and has accepted a position at another university, Vice President and Director of Athletics Matt Roan confirmed this afternoon. 
 
“I’d like to thank Coach Williams for her dedicated service to EKU as head coach the past two seasons and I wish her much success at her next stop,” Roan said.  “She is an outstanding coach who will make that program better.  I am excited to get to work right away and find a dynamic leader who will build upon the solid foundation which has been established, recruit and develop student-athletes at a high level on and off the court, and put our program into championship contention.”
 
After the program won just 10 games in the two seasons prior to Williams’ arrival, she led the Colonels to 20 victories over the past two seasons.  In her first season, Williams led one of the biggest turnarounds in Division I basketball.  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 started Ohio Valley Conference play 6-3 that season, their best start since the 2014-15 campaign. 
 
The team once again improved its conference win total again this past season, picking up three additional victories.
 
Williams concludes her tenure with a 20-33 overall record. 
 
A national search for the next women’s basketball head coach at EKU will begin immediately. 

https://ekusports.com/news/2021/4/16/eku-womens-basketball-coach-samantha-williams-resigns.aspx