Keith Williams: VDN’s Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year 2025

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Warren Central High School coach Keith Williams is no stranger to winning, and in 2025, he proved why you should never count him out.

Williams led the Vikings to their furthest playoff run since 2018, making them the only team in Warren County to reach the state playoffs this season. His leadership has now earned him the Dellie C. Robinson Award, given to the VDN Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year.

“I have to give credit to the man above for this season, and I also have to give credit to my coaching staff,” Williams said. “I know at times it was difficult to deal with me, but I knew once we got our pieces, we would do what we needed to do.”

A season of challenges and triumphs

The Vikings started the season without some of their key players, who were still playing football. As a result, they struggled early, losing their first seven games. However, once the football season ended, the winning began.

With his full team back, Williams had the pleasure of coaching his two leading scorers, Jaylon Winters and Roosevelt Harris Jr.

“They brought the winning attitude back,” Williams said. “They felt defeat from football, so they were still hungry, and they brought that into basketball.”

The Vikings faced a challenging schedule but never backed down. They lost to Raymond—the eventual 4A state champion—by just four points. They also took Columbus, the district champion, to overtime and held their own against Ridgeland, who went on to win the state championship.

Despite some tough losses, Warren Central earned a major win over crosstown rival Vicksburg High.

“We had some good days and some bad days, but they knew what it was to win,” Williams said. “People counted us out, but we had to stick together as a team.”

Proving doubters wrong in the postseason

By the time the district tournament arrived, Warren Central had lost more games than it had won, including an eight-game losing streak. Heading into the first round against Neshoba Central, things looked bleak—the Vikings had lost to them by 13 points just weeks earlier.

However, Williams showed why you should never doubt his coaching abilities. Warren Central stunned Neshoba Central 64-61 to clinch a state playoff spot. The Vikings then went on to defeat Callaway and South Panola in the first round of the state tournament.

Their playoff run ended in the second round against Ridgeland, which later won the state championship.

A coach dedicated to success

Williams credited his assistant coaches, Calvin Morgan and Coach Stallworth, as key contributors to the team’s success.

Winning the VDN Coach of the Year award marks Williams’ first time receiving the honor individually, but he remains humble about his achievement.

“I’m no stranger to winning, and neither are the other coaches,” Williams said. “I’m my biggest critic, and I’ll never stop trying to be No. 1. Before I evaluate my players, I evaluate myself. But this is a proud moment, and there’s no other place I’d rather be than Warren Central.”

Williams just completed his fourth season as Warren Central’s head coach. Before joining as an assistant coach, he made a name for himself as the head coach at Hinds AHS, where he led the team to two state championships and 13 district championships.