Now the entire JMU women’s basketball coaching staff truly bleeds purple and gold.
With today’s announcement of the hiring of Sarah Williams (JMU ’10) as an assistant coach, all of the program’s coaches, as well as the director of basketball operations, are graduates of JMU.
Williams is joining a staff that includes: head coach Kenny Brooks (JMU ’92), a former JMU basketball player who is entering his 12th season as the Dukes’ coach; associate head coach Sean O’Regan (JMU ’03); assistant coach Jennifer Brown (JMU ’08); and director of operations Tim Clark (JMU ’09).
Both Williams and Brown played at JMU under Brooks.
"We are very excited to bring Sarah back to the JMU family," said Brooks of Williams’ hiring. "With her experiences she will be an important piece to our success as we move forward. Her drive, determination, and loyalty are the makings of a budding star and I’m glad she’s representing the Dukes!"
Prior to joining the JMU staff, Williams served as an assistant coach for Longwood in 2012-13, when the Lancers advanced to the championship game of the Big South Conference.
After being picked to finish 11th in their first season in the Big South, the Lancers earned the seventh seed in the postseason tournament. Longwood upset second-seeded Winthrop en route to the championship game, where the Lancers fell to top-seeded Liberty. The Lancers doubled their wins total (from seven to 14) from the previous season and won five of their last seven games in 2013.
Williams was a graduate assistant coach with the Dukes in 2011-12 before joining the Longwood staff. That season JMU advanced to the championship game of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament and finished the year with a 29-7 record.
The Wilmington, Del., native was a two-year starter at guard in both of her playing seasons with the Dukes (2008-10). She led the team in steals (51) and was second in rebounding (6.5) as a redshirt senior on JMU’s 2009-10 CAA champion and NCAA Tournament team.
That season Williams was a team captain and the recipient of the team’s Leadership Award. She was also named to the CAA All-Academic First Team and was a JMU Athletic Director Scholar Athlete.
In her junior season in 2008-09 she ranked second on the team in scoring (8.6) and tied the school record for season games played (34).
She transferred to JMU after two seasons (2005-07) at the University of Richmond, where she was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie Team in 2006.
Williams received her undergraduate degree in finance from JMU in 2009 and her master’s degree in sport and recreation leadership from JMU in 2012.
She twice earned Street & Smith All-America honorable mention as a basketball player on two state champion Ursuline Academy teams.
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