FARMVILLE, Va. – Ten-year coaching veteran Khris Williams has joined the Longwood men's basketball staff as the director of basketball operations, head coach Jayson Gee announced Friday.
Williams, who has enjoyed a dual career as both a basketball coach and software engineer for the past decade, comes to Longwood from North Carolina high school basketball powerhouse Ravenscroft in Raleigh, N.C. As an assistant coach with the Ravens from 2013-16, he helped the program to a three-year overall record of 61-23, a perfect 26-0 record in conference play and the No. 4 ranking in the 2015-16 North Carolina 3A High School rankings.
A native of Henderson, N.C., Williams' coaching experience spans the high school, AAU and Division II levels where he worked the sidelines in North Carolina's basketball-rich Triangle area. In addition to time as an assistant coach at Ravenscroft and Division II Shaw University, he was also the associate head coach of the Raleigh-based 17U Team Wall AAU program, founded and managed by NBA All-Star guard John Wall of the Washington Wizards.
"Khris Williams has worked extremely hard to get to this level," said Gee, now entering his fourth year leading the Longwood program. "He has been a high school coach, AAU coach, and a Division II assistant, all precursors to achieving his goal of being on a Division I coaching staff. We are elated to have him."
As Longwood's director of basketball operations, Williams will manage a wealth of responsibilities including the program's travel operations, academic monitoring, scouting, film preparation, practice logistics, statistical analysis and general quality control oversight of the entire program.
"Coach Williams' technology skills, outstanding character and overall basketball mind will be a welcome addition to our staff," Gee said. "He comes to Longwood with his wife, Carla, and a beautiful daughter, Raegan. He solidifies a very talented group of assistants and will be a very valuable member of our family."
Williams got his start in coaching as an assistant at Shaw University from 2006-08 under head coach Robert Brickey, a former standout on three Final Four teams at Duke University. From there, he moved on to Word of God Christian Academy where he coached Wall and N.C. State standout C.J. Leslie from 2008-09. Near the end of that tenure, he served as an assistant coach for the Garner Road 17U AAU squad, which eventually produced Longwood freshmen Juan Munoz and JaShaun Smith.
After another stint on the bench at Christian Faith Center Academy in 2010-11, Williams co-founded Marah ThinkLife, a non-profit life and basketball skills camp for underprivileged teenage boys. He helped maintain oversight of that organization throughout his time at Ravenscroft and Team Wall, putting on a yearly summer camp for nearly 200 participants over the past six years.
"I am blessed and honored to be named the director of basketball operations at Longwood University," said Williams. "Coach Gee's leadership and mentorship is inspiring, and the opportunity he has given me to join this Lancer program is a storybook dream.
"In my brief time here thus far, I have already witnessed the warm reception and family atmosphere at Longwood. I'm elated about joining this year's coaching staff as we continue building the program and establishing a legacy of raising citizen-leaders."
Williams becomes the fifth member of a Longwood staff that boasts more than 70 combined years of coaching experience, more than five decades of which come from Gee and 37-year coaching veteran Dr. Ron Bradley. In addition to Gee and Bradley, Williams' appointment puts him alongside associate head coach Jake Luhn, who has been at Gee's side during their entire tenure in Farmville, and newly appointed assistant coach Cody Anderson, who served as Longwood's director of basketball operations last season.
The Lancers welcome Williams after a milestone-filled 2015-16 season, earning their best Big South finish in four years as a member of the conference. Led by All-Big South first team selection Lotanna Nwogbo – Longwood's first all-conference first-team selection of the Division I era – Longwood received the No. 8 seed in the Big South Championship and advanced past the first round for the second straight year.
Longwood brings back starters Darrion Allen and Khris Lane from that squad, along with senior reserve Isaac Belton and redshirt junior Damarion Geter, who returns from a one-year hiatus resulting from shoulder surgery. That group will be bolstered by returning point guard Bryan Gee and sophomore forward Chris Shields, along with nine newcomers.
Williams received his bachelor of science degree in computer science from North Carolina State University in 2001 before earning his master's degree in sport management from the United States Sports Academy in 2008. His basketball coaching career has run parallel with a lengthy information technology career in which he has 14 years of corporate experience.
Williams and his wife, Carla, have a three-year-old daughter, Raegan Olivia.
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