Jan. 30, 2009

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Legendary Santa Clara men's basketball coach and former athletic director Carroll Williams will be inducted into the WCC 2009 Hall of Honors. Williams, will be one of two coaches and eight players inducted in the WCC's inaugural class. Formal introductions will take place on Saturday, March 7, at the 2009 WCC Hall of Honor Bruch at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The entire 2009 class will be honored the following day at halftime of the first men's basketball semifinal game at the WCC Basketball Championships on Sunday, March 8.

Williams is the winningest men's basketball coach in Santa Clara history with a 344-274 career record. Over his 22 year span at the helm of the Bronco men's basketball program, Williams led SCU to five postseason tournaments, once to the NCAA Tournament and four times to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Stockton, Calif. native also garnered the talents of two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash and former Los Angeles Laker Kurt Rambis, who is currently an assistant coach for the team.

After an illustrious career on the court, Williams' continued to work with Bronco athletics as the Director of Athletics and Recreation for eight years. Under his direction, Santa Clara added women's golf and women's water polo programs, renovated and improved the campus' athletic facilities and increased scholarship support for student-athletes. During his near decade-long period as athletic director, he oversaw 19 West Coast Conference Championships in seven different sports and 23 postseason tournaments. He capped off his 30 year career with the Santa Clara Athletic Department, with both the men's and women's soccer teams reaching the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

Williams recently returned to Santa Clara on December 29, when former player and Bronco standout Rambis had his jersey retired at halftime of the Broncos game versus Belmont University at the 42nd Annual Cable Car Classic.