Honors
• 2019-20 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
• Two-time HoopDirt.com NAIA Coach of the Week (Jan. 27-Feb. 2, 2020, and Dec. 6-12, 2021)
Briefly
• 2023-24 is his eighth season as XULA head coach
• This is his 14th season on the XULA men's basketball coaching staff — he was
an assistant to Dannton Jackson for six seasons (2009-15)
• XULA announced the hiring of Williams on June 28, 2016
— he succeeded Dannton Jackson, the all-time winningest Gold Rush coach —
and Williams was introduced to media, fans and the XULA community at a news conference one week later (July 5, 2016)
• Begins 2023-24 with a 7-year XULA record of 139-70 (.665)
• Career record as a head coach at four-year colleges entering 2023-24 is 153-87 (.638) in eight seasons
• 2008 graduate of XULA, bachelor of science degree
• Native of Greenville, S.C., and a 2002 graduate of that city's Southside High School
At XULA (Head Coach)
• Two GCAC regular-season championships: 2017-18, 2019-20
• Three conference tournament championships: GCAC in 2019-20 and 2020-21, Red River Athletic in 2022-23
. . . the 2019-20 title was the Gold Rush's first GCAC Tournament championship since the 1995-96 season . . .
then the following season, XULA men's basketball won consecutive tournament championships at the conference or district
level for the first time since the early 1980s
• He was the only head coach of a Louisiana college basketball team, male or female,
to win a game at NAIA or NCAA nationals each of the last three seasons (2021-23) . . . A
splendid turnaround for a XULA program that was 1-16 at NAIA nationals from 1974-2020.
• Qualified five times for NAIA National Championship tournaments: 2017-18, 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23
• No. 10 in the final NAIA Division I top 25 coaches poll of 2019-20
• 19 victories against top-25 opponents, seven in 2019-20
• 10 NAIA All-America citations, including Rayshawn Mart on the first team in 2020-21 and
William Loyd on the second team in 2019-20
• GCAC individual player major awards: Freshman of the Year
for Rayshawn Mart (2017-18), TJ Jones (2019-20, shared) and Corey Dunning (2020-21), Defensive Player of the Year
for Joseph Williams (2017-18) and Player of the Year for Rayshawn Mart (2020-21)
• Five of his first seven teams were top-10 in NAIA or NAIA Division I in scoring defense:
— No. 7 in 2017-18 with 67.8 points allowed per game (NAIA Division I)
— No. 10 in 2019-20 with 67.6 (NAIA Division I)
— No. 2 in 2020-21 with 62.1 (NAIA)
— No. 3 in 2021-22 with 60.6 (NAIA)
— No. 7 in 2022-23 with 64.1 (NAIA)
• He was a finalist for Outstanding Coach, State
of Louisiana in 2019-20 (Greater New Orleans Sports Awards, sponsored by Allstate Sugar Bowl)
At XULA (Student-Athlete)
• A 6-foot-4 forward who averaged 8.4 points, 5.8 rebounds in 97 games over three seasons (2004-05, 2006-07 and 2007-08)
• All-GCAC as a senior in 2007-08 when he averaged 11.4 points and seven rebounds a game and made
45.6 percent of his 3-pointers (52-of-114)
• Single-game highs included 23 points, 15 rebounds, six assists, three steals and four made 3-pointers
• His basket with seven seconds remaining broke a tie at 79 in unseeded XULA's 82-79
victory against third-seeded Georgetown (Ky.) in the opening round of NAIA nationals at Kansas City, Mo.,
on March 15, 2007
• Helped XULA earn a share of the GCAC regular-season championship his junior season (2006-07)
and rank as high as eighth in the coaches poll his senior year (2007-08)
• All three XULA teams he was on qualified for NAIA National Championship tournaments
• Transfer from North Carolina Wesleyan College, an NCAA Division III member in Rocky Mount, N.C.
Prior to XULA
• Head coach of men's basketball at Harris-Stowe State University (St. Louis)
in 2015-16 season . . . Led the Hornets to a 14-17 record, a 7 1/2-game improvement from the previous year
and victories against a pair of NCAA Division II opponents
. . . Harris-Stowe lost 84-83 in double-overtime Jan. 28, 2016, at American Midwest Conference
champion Columbia (Mo.), a 29-game winner, after losing there by 46 points the previous season
Favorites
Food: Shrimp, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie
Candy: Gummies
Pizza toppings: Chicken
Ice cream flavor: Cookies and cream
Cake: Red velvet and whipped icing
Flower: Lily
Color: Black
Vacation destination: Jamaica
Alfred Williams Milestone Victories as a Head Coach
At XULA
No. 1 — XULA 66, Carver 44 (Oct. 25, 2016, at Convocation Center)
No. 50 — XULA 65, SUNO 51 (Feb. 20, 2019, at Convocation Center)
No. 100 — XULA 84, William Carey 57 (Dec. 6, 2021, at Convocation Center)
At 4-Year Colleges
No. 1 — Harris-Stowe 73, IU Southeast 51 (Oct. 24, 2015, at St. Louis)
No. 50 — XULA 78, Virgin Islands 74 (Oct. 28, 2018, at St. Thomas, Virgin Islands)
No. 100 — XULA 88, Carver 41 (Jan. 23, 2021, at Convocation Center)
No. 150 — XULA 94, Southwest (N.M.) 59 (Feb. 24, 2023, at Alexandria, La. — RRAC Tournament quarterfinal)
More Alfred Williams Milestones as a Head Coach
•
Feb. 18, 2019: XULA made school-record 16 3-pointers
vs. Rust in a 94-68 victory at Convocation Center
•
Nov. 23, 2019: XULA made a school-record 75 percent
of its 3-pointers (9 of 12) in an 80-65 victory at Huston-Tillotson (Austin, Texas)
•
Feb. 29, 2020: XULA, on the road against Dillard, broke the school season
record for made 3-pointers, then finished the season with 254 . . . Previous high was 222 in 2007-08
What They Said About Alfred Williams When XULA Hired Him in 2016
Larry Cordaro, Louisiana State University at Alexandria Head Coach (2023-24: assistant coach/operations at Troy University)
"Alfred Williams is an outstanding young coach who is a great fit for Xavier.
He has the coaching characteristics to keep the Gold Rush competing at a high level. AJ has an eye for
talent and really cares about people. All he needed was head coaching experience which he went out and got.
I'm really happy for AJ and look forward to seeing him back in Louisiana."
Mike Davis, University of Detroit Mercy Head Coach
"Alfred Williams is a really good basketball coach and
has a bright future."
Michael Huger, Bowling Green State University Head Coach (2023-24: associate head coach at Temple University)
"Alfred Williams is one of the best young coaches in our business.
He has a great basketball mind. AJ is also a people person which he will use to do a
great job with his student-athletes. I wish him all the best."
Casey Long, LSU Assistant Coach
"Alfred Williams is an unbelievable coach and God-fearing person.
He really cares about developing players to be the best student-athletes they can be.
He is truly appreciative of any opportunity, and he will be a great coach at Xavier."
Alfred Williams XULA Season Notes
•
Most Victories: 27 in 2019-20
•
Fewest Victories: 10 in 2016-17
•
Fewest Losses: 5 in 2020-21
•
Most Losses: 20 in 2016-17
•
Highest Winning Percentage: .818 (27-6) in 2019-20
•
Lowest Winning Percentage: 333 (10-20) in 2016-17
•
Winning Seasons: 6
•
.500 Seasons: 0
•
Losing Seasons: 1
•
Seasons With 20-or-More Victories: 4
•
Longest Winning Streaks:
9 from Dec. 17, 2019-Feb. 3, 2020
8 from Dec. 13, 2017-Jan. 15, 2018
7 from Jan. 24-Feb. 12, 2022
7 from Feb. 29-Nov. 2, 2020
6 from Feb. 2-16, 2023
6 from Nov. 16-26, 2019
5 from Jan. 6-23, 2021
5 from Feb. 19-March 3, 2018
5 from Jan. 24-Feb. 12, 2018
•
Longest Losing Streaks:
6 from Dec. 16-Jan. 3, 2017
5 from Nov, 10-26, 2018
4 from Nov. 4-15, 2016
|
Alfred Williams Year-by-Year as a Head Coach |
|
|
—All Games— |
|
—League Games— |
|
|
|
| Season |
School |
W |
L |
Pct. |
|
W |
L |
Pct. |
Rank |
League Tournament |
NAIA Tournament |
Final Poll |
| 2015-16 |
Harris-Stowe |
14 |
17 |
.452 |
|
10 |
12 |
.455 |
tie-7th |
0-1, Quarterfinals |
— |
— |
| 2016-17 |
XULA |
10 |
20 |
.333 |
|
6 |
6 |
.500 |
4th |
0-1, Quarterfinals |
— |
— |
| 2017-18 |
XULA |
24 |
9 |
.727 |
|
9 |
3 |
.750 |
tie-1st |
2-1, 2nd Place |
0-1, 1st Round |
25th |
| 2018-19 |
XULA |
18 |
14 |
.563 |
|
8 |
6 |
.571 |
tie-4th |
1-1, Semifinals |
— |
— |
| 2019-20 |
XULA |
27 |
6 |
.818 |
|
12 |
2 |
.857 |
1st |
3-0, Champion |
0-0, Qualified |
10th |
| 2020-21 |
XULA |
14 |
5 |
.737 |
|
5 |
1 |
.833 |
2nd |
3-0, Champion |
1-1, Round of 32 |
RV-39th |
| 2021-22 |
XULA |
23 |
7 |
.767 |
|
12 |
4 |
.750 |
2nd in Division |
1-1, Semifinals |
1-1, Round of 32 |
RV-38th |
| 2022-23 |
XULA |
23 |
9 |
.719 |
|
14 |
6 |
.750 |
tie-2nd |
3-0, Champion |
1-1, Round of 32 |
RV-tie-43rd |
| Totals |
8 Seasons |
153 |
87 |
.638 |
|
76 |
40 |
.655 |
2 titles |
13-5, 3 titles |
5 trips, 3-4 record |
final top 25: twice |
| XULA Totals |
7 Seasons |
139 |
70 |
.665 |
|
66 |
28 |
.702 |
2 titles |
13-4, 3 titles |
5 trips, 3-4 record |
final top 25: twice |
