Nebraska hires Amy Williams as next women's basketball coach

[Alum-Ni]

Link: http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=210881342

Nebraska Names Williams Women's Basketball Coach
Huskers.com

LINCOLN - The University of Nebraska has hired Amy Williams as its new Head Women's Basketball Coach, Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst announced today. Williams will be formally introduced at a press conference on Tuesday, April 12 at 10:00 a.m. in the lobby of the Hendricks Training Complex.

Williams is a Spearfish, South Dakota native who played at Nebraska from 1994-1998 and graduated in 1998 with a degree in biology and mathematics. As a head coach, Amy has built a women's basketball program from scratch into a national contender and led teams to conference championships, a NCAA tournament berth and the 2016 WNIT championship.

Williams comes to Nebraska with 18 years of coaching experience, including nine years as a head coach, first at Rogers State University where she started the women's basketball program and led the program to back-to-back NAIA national tournament appearances. The last four seasons she has served as the head coach at South Dakota, where she has led the team to two regular season Summit League championships, one Summit League tournament championship, and the 2016 WNIT championship, while posting an overall record of 96-44 (.686).

After graduating from Nebraska, Williams served as a Graduate Assistant Coach at the University of Nebraska-Kearney and then had assistant coaching positions at Texas-San Antonio (2000-01), Oklahoma State (2001-05) and Tulsa (2005-07).

Amy and her husband, Lloyd, have two daughters, Kennadi (10) and Bentli (6).

Statement from University of Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst:

"We are extremely fortunate and thrilled to have identified an exceptional person, coach and Nebraska women’s basketball alumna, Amy Williams to be our Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Amy is a very skilled and experienced basketball coach who has a track record of success both on and off the court and is an ideal fit for Nebraska. Amy has built a women’s basketball program from scratch into a national contender, led teams to Conference Championships, a NCAA tournament appearance and won the 2016 WNIT Championship. She has a proven vision, plan and knows how to recruit regionally, nationally and internationally which will translate very well to Nebraska. “

Statement from Amy Williams:

"What an honor to return home as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at the University of Nebraska. My family and I are thrilled to be joining this outstanding University and the Lincoln community. I am grateful to President Hank Bounds, Chancellor Harvey Perlman and Shawn Eichorst for their confidence in me and I am eager to continue to build on the rich tradition of my alma mater."

 

[Alum-Ni]

Amy Williams Career Collegiate Coaching Record

2007-08: Rogers State (13-18)
2008-09: Rogers State (18-14)
2009-10: Rogers State (21-11)
2010-11: Rogers State (23-10) | NAIA Tournament appearance
2011-12: Rogers State (22-12) | NAIA Elite Eight
2012-13: South Dakota (19-16) | WBI Semifinals
2013-14: South Dakota (19-14) | Summit Tournament Champions, NCAA Tournament appearance
2014-15: South Dakota (26-8) | Summit League Champions, WNIT 2nd round
2015-16: South Dakota (32-6) | Summit League Champions, WNIT champions

Total: 193-109 (.639)

 

[chicolby]

Sounds like a good candidate. Job number one is to unite the current roster and sell like hell to the recruits who had previously committed. This is a crucial time where the team could fracture, so she will be tested early on. While not the ideal way to take on a new role, hopefully she will see the existing talent and potential of this team to make the most of it. Most other opportunities come once a coach has been fired for poor performance leaving the cupboard empty. That is certainly not the case here. This team has the potential to make the NCAA tournament and potentially win a game or two right away.

 

[Charlie Marlow]

yay.

 

[dinglefritz]

Sounds like a good candidate. Job number one is to unite the current roster and sell like hell to the recruits who had previously committed. This is a crucial time where the team could fracture, so she will be tested early on. While not the ideal way to take on a new role, hopefully she will see the existing talent and potential of this team to make the most of it. Most other opportunities come once a coach has been fired for poor performance leaving the cupboard empty. That is certainly not the case here. This team has the potential to make the NCAA tournament and potentially win a game or two right away.

great hire IMO. The players at USD absolutely love her. If you can recruit to USD and win there, you can win anywhere. That's a really tough job. Younger, more energy, less distractions, better at dealing with and motivating young athletes. I will add that she did that at USD without basically even having a real gym for practice. They are building a new arena but man their facilities sucked.

 

[nu2u]

great hire IMO. The players at USD absolutely love her. If you can recruit to USD and win there, you can win anywhere. That's a really tough job. Younger, more energy, less distractions, better at dealing with and motivating young athletes. I will add that she did that at USD without basically even having a real gym for practice. They are building a new arena but man their facilities sucked.

True,..... and her 2016 recruiting class at USD has been rated one of the best of all recruiting classes among women's basketball programs in the Midwest (including several B10 and B12 schools).

Prior to USD (where she was 2X Summit League COY) Williams actually started a basketball program from scratch (Rodgers State) and built it into a NAIA title contender within 5 years.

So, yeah, coaching and recruiting are her strong suits. One of the best young coaches in the USA.

 

[TruHusker]

Sounds like a good candidate. Job number one is to unite the current roster and sell like hell to the recruits who had previously committed. This is a crucial time where the team could fracture, so she will be tested early on. While not the ideal way to take on a new role, hopefully she will see the existing talent and potential of this team to make the most of it. Most other opportunities come once a coach has been fired for poor performance leaving the cupboard empty. That is certainly not the case here. This team has the potential to make the NCAA tournament and potentially win a game or two right away.

Crap. I thought she was actually hired, now you are telling me she is a "good candidate." I hope SE mentors her so she fully understands that she has to keep this team together and still recruit. Yori resigned because of her apparent "poor performance" in managing players and staff not because of her record. Amy is, by all accounts, a very smart person who built a program from scratch into a tournament caliber team. Just a hunch here but I am guessing she has a pretty good handle on what needs to be done for Nebraska to be a tourney contender. If someone has to remind her of what it takes, well, they hired the wrong person or, er, candidate.

 

[chicolby]

Crap. I thought she was actually hired, now you are telling me she is a "good candidate." I hope SE mentors her so she fully understands that she has to keep this team together and still recruit. Yori resigned because of her apparent "poor performance" in managing players and staff not because of her record. Amy is, by all accounts, a very smart person who built a program from scratch into a tournament caliber team. Just a hunch here but I am guessing she has a pretty good handle on what needs to be done for Nebraska to be a tourney contender. If someone has to remind her of what it takes, well, they hired the wrong person or, er, candidate.

Wow, many thanks for noting the incorrect use of the word "candidate." I can't imagine how you were able to comprehend the rest of my post given that egregious error. She WAS an outstanding candidate that warranted a hire. I'm glad they made the HIRE.

 

[SevoHusker]

South Dakota is reaching for Preparation H because of this based on their radio personnel and TV coverage, I dig it.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Williams' contract is for five years at $575,000 per year.

 

[Harry Caray]

Williams' contract is for five years at $575,000 per year.

Seems reasonable when you look at other Big Ten women's bball salaries. But I wonder if John Cook will ask for a big raise. His program actually makes a profit and wins championships, and he still doesn't make that much.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Seems reasonable when you look at other Big Ten women's bball salaries. But I wonder if John Cook will ask for a big raise. His program actually makes a profit and wins championships, and he still doesn't make that much.

Cook makes roughly $400,000 a year (that was before this last national championship he won)

 

[northeastNebraska]

I think it's a great hire, but John Cook should make more than the Nebraska women's basketball coach at anytime. Dude sells out every game and has won a few titles. Nebraska Volleyball is a national brand.

 

[dinglefritz]

I think it's a great hire, but John Cook should make more than the Nebraska women's basketball coach at anytime. Dude sells out every game and has won a few titles. Nebraska Volleyball is a national brand.

I've heard rumors that NU had to pay up to get Williams. There were other "name" women's programs supposedly making her offers. I think Cook is one of the highest paid volleyball coaches around but I'm sure IF he wanted to threaten to leave they would probably find more money for him. IF you threaten to leave you better be ready to do it though.

 

[TruHusker]

I think it's a great hire, but John Cook should make more than the Nebraska women's basketball coach at anytime. Dude sells out every game and has won a few titles. Nebraska Volleyball is a national brand.

Be careful. Is this going to be the standard for all hires and pay raises? I don't disagree that Cook may be worth more but I don't know what all VB HC's make so I would not even know how to make the comparison. He might be double the next person in line which would then make it seem like he is well paid. I don't know without looking it up.

 

[Harry Caray]

Be careful. Is this going to be the standard for all hires and pay raises? I don't disagree that Cook may be worth more but I don't know what all VB HC's make so I would not even know how to make the comparison. He might be double the next person in line which would then make it seem like he is well paid. I don't know without looking it up.

I understand your point, but Nebraska Volleyball is one of the few women's programs in any sport that actually makes a profit ($600,000 most recently). Even other volleyball powers like Texas and Penn State operate at a loss of over $1 million. UConn women's basketball also loses millions but they still pay Geno over $2 million a year. The most recent report showed that our women's basketball program operated at a larger deficit than any other program in our athletic department (-$2.5 million)...yet Yori was paid almost twice as much as Cook.

I cannot find a list of what other VB coaches make. I'm sure Cook is near the top, and I doubt he would think about leaving. I just can't help but wonder how he feels about this new unproven women's bball coach coming in and making quite a bit more than him, when he has been here for 16 years, won 3 NCAA championships, and is making a solid profit for the athletic department.

 

[northeastNebraska]

Be careful. Is this going to be the standard for all hires and pay raises? I don't disagree that Cook may be worth more but I don't know what all VB HC's make so I would not even know how to make the comparison. He might be double the next person in line which would then make it seem like he is well paid. I don't know without looking it up.

Doesn't matter what the market is for current volleyball head coaches. He's the best in the business right now and deserves to be paid more than Coach Amy Williams or former Coach Yori. That's no disrespect to them either, it's just common sense.

 

[TruHusker]

Doesn't matter what the market is for current volleyball head coaches. He's the best in the business right now and deserves to be paid more than Coach Amy Williams or former Coach Yori. That's no disrespect to them either, it's just common sense.

So the market doesn't matter, the fact he is considered "the best" by whatever standard means he should be paid more than Amy? I am not arguing either way, coaches know what their value is given a sport or program and that value as well to the school they are serving. I am not sure where the common sense comes in because it seems arbitrary - who decides if a coach is "the best" and "deserves to be paid more" than whoever/whatever coach at any school. So then the lacrosse coach should get more because they at the best but the girls basketball is really good and already inflated so you raise the lacrosse coach to unreachable heights? If this is the formula then the opposite should be true as well - not being the best means you don't get as much, right?

 

[newAD]

So back to the subject. Anyone know how the new coach's efforts are going regarding keeping Romeo and the recruits around?

 

[kikdakan]

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/three-...cle_6f15f0cf-2900-581c-b9b5-8518e67d55c4.html

nothing out there yet on romeo, or recruits cayton and doyle.

 

[nu2u]

Doesn't matter what the market is for current volleyball head coaches. He's the best in the business right now and deserves to be paid more than Coach Amy Williams or former Coach Yori. That's no disrespect to them either, it's just common sense.

LOL No major university is going to pay more money to a volleyball coach over their basketball coach. That would be insane.

 

[northeastNebraska]

LOL No major university is going to pay more money to a volleyball coach over their basketball coach. That would be insane.

Why? More than their women's basketball coach? Isn't not insane. Four national titles, 12 Final Fours, and has the biggest crowds in the country and have sold out every match since 2001.

Nebraska volleyball makes money. They made $600,000 in 2014. No other school in the country did that. The Nebraska Volleyball coach should always make more than the Women's Basketball coach at Nebraska.

 

[nu2u]

Why? More than their women's basketball coach? Isn't not insane. Four national titles, 12 Final Fours, and has the biggest crowds in the country and have sold out every match since 2001.

Nebraska volleyball makes money. They made $600,000 in 2014. No other school in the country did that. The Nebraska Volleyball coach should always make more than the Women's Basketball coach at Nebraska.

Who gives a shitt if volleyball makes money. Were talking about salaries. If you start down that profit road, it is just as logical to underpay coaches in programs that lose money ..... and there are many many more college sports which lose money than make a profit. Coach is an overachiever you say? Fine, give him a bonus.

Womens basketball is a much bigger sport and much bigger audience in the conference and nationwide than volleyball is now or ever will be.... by a factor of at least 1000 to 1. Same for gymnastics, golf, tennis, track and field, and other sports outside the big 2. That's the way it is - that is where you make your investment.

 

[northeastNebraska]

Who gives a shitt if volleyball makes money. Were talking about salaries. If you start down that profit road, it is just as logical to underpay coaches in programs that lose money ..... and there are many many more college sports which lose money than make a profit. Coach is an overachiever you say? Fine, give him a bonus.

Womens basketball is a much bigger sport and much bigger audience in the conference and nationwide than volleyball is now or ever will be.... by a factor of at least 1000 to 1. Same for gymnastics, golf, tennis, track and field, and other sports outside the big 2. That's the way it is - that is where you make your investment.

Nebraska's Women's basketball will never ever be the bigger sport for Nebraska Athletics compared to Volleyball. Money wise, attendance wise and popularity wise.

 

[nu2u]

Nebraska's Women's basketball will never ever be the bigger sport for Nebraska Athletics compared to Volleyball. Money wise, attendance wise and popularity wise.

You will be eating those words within the next couple years. A B10 title and/or a trip to the NCAA tournament and its off to the races...... from there they will be seen by hundreds of thousands if not millions - something the will never happen with the volleyball team.

I'm sorry, WBB is an infinitely more popular sport among young women athletes and spectators. There is really no argument about that; its not even close. A little taste of national success and WBB will easily surpass volleyball at Nebraska.

According to the NCAA, attendance for WBB surpassed 11 million for the 8th straight year in 2014-15
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/15att.pdf

Most of the attendance and television nationwide is with basketball. Nebraska womens basketball needs to join the 21st century. Williams will pull a compensation close to $800,00 if she can get a consistent NCAA tourney team, and deservedly so.

 

[baseball31ne]

Ask the parents and coaches at the youth and high school levels. Which sport has the better depth of athletes. Why is WBB have only a few top teams and really one power, depth. Why is women's volleyball deeper for the top teams, depth of talent.

 

[jlb321]

Williams' contract is for five years at $575,000 per year.

cut both her and Cook's salary in half and go get a couple of top flight defensive tackles

 

[Harry Caray]

You will be eating those words within the next couple years. A B10 title and/or a trip to the NCAA tournament and its off to the races...... from there they will be seen by hundreds of thousands if not millions - something the will never happen with the volleyball team.

I'm sorry, WBB is an infinitely more popular sport among young women athletes and spectators. There is really no argument about that; its not even close. A little taste of national success and WBB will easily surpass volleyball at Nebraska.

Did you forget that in 2010 our women's team went 29-0, won the Big 12 regular season, and was a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? Yet our women's basketball still did not come close to surpassing the popularity of our volleyball program after that. Women's basketball will never surpass volleyball in this state. If the volleyball team played in an arena the size of PBA, they'd probably draw bigger crowds than our men's basketball team.

I would compare this to how Pat Summitt was paid a higher salary than the Tennessee men's coach at the time (Cuonzo Martin)...even though men's basketball is 1000x more relevant nationally than women's basketball. Most schools would laugh at the thought of paying a women's basketball coach anywhere near as much as the men's coach.

 

[northeastNebraska]

You will be eating those words within the next couple years. A B10 title and/or a trip to the NCAA tournament and its off to the races...... from there they will be seen by hundreds of thousands if not millions - something the will never happen with the volleyball team.

I'm sorry, WBB is an infinitely more popular sport among young women athletes and spectators. There is really no argument about that; its not even close. A little taste of national success and WBB will easily surpass volleyball at Nebraska.

According to the NCAA, attendance for WBB surpassed 11 million for the 8th straight year in 2014-15
http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/w_basketball_RB/reports/Attend/15att.pdf

Most of the attendance and television nationwide is with basketball. Nebraska womens basketball needs to join the 21st century. Williams will pull a compensation close to $800,00 if she can get a consistent NCAA tourney team, and deservedly so.

I won't be eating my words brother, keep dreaming though that Nebraska Women's Basketball will surpass Volleyball.

 

[Charlie Marlow]

I won't be eating my words brother, keep dreaming though that Nebraska Women's Basketball will surpass Volleyball.

Cook gets a raise

 

[northeastNebraska]

Cook gets a raise