Mississippian Mo Williams selected as Alabama State head basketball coach

Jackson, Mississippi, native and former NBA star Mo Williams has been named head basketball coach at Alabama State University.

“We are excited about the direction of our men’s basketball program as we move forward into this new era,”  said Jennifer Lynne Williams, director of intercollegiate athletics for Alabama State, in a press release.

Williams has been an assistant coach at California State University at Northridge for the past two years. The Matadors finished with a 15-17 record this season and ended on a four game winning streak.

He helped coach two All-Big West First Team honorees in Lamine Diane and Terrell Gomez. Diane is a two-time Big West Player of the Year and All-American Honorable Mention.

Before starting his coaching career, Williams played basketball in the NBA for 14 years. He retired in 2017 shortly after winning a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.

Williams graduated from Murrah High School in Jackson in 2001. He went on to play for the University of Alabama for two seasons before entering the 2003 NBA Draft.