Head Coach Jase Coburn has rounded out his coaching staff with the addition of Jamaal Williams. A basketball coach in the Seattle area for the past several years, Williams has been part of highly-successful and state champion programs that have produced top collegiate talent.
“I’ve known Jamaal for quite some time and I know that he is very passionate about working in college basketball,” said Coburn. “It really excites me that he is eager to work in this business. He has been around a lot of really good coaches his whole life, and has learned something at every single stop.
“Jamaal is a guy who definitely cares about the student-athlete experience and wants nothing but success for the people he works with. And, his experience as a player goes a long way as someone who has been there and done that.”
“Over the last few years, Coach Coburn and I have built a good relationship. When he got the job here at Portland State, I was excited to come join him. We hope to build something special and take this program to new heights,” said Williams.
Williams has been an assistant coach at powerhouse high schools Garfield and Nathan Hale in the Seattle area over the last eight years.
As an assistant coach at Garfield and Nathan Hale, Williams has been part of five Washington state championships. Nathan Hale was the National Champion in 2017, led by star Michael Porter Jr.
For the past four years, Williams has been the Head Coach of the AAU Seattle Rotary Nike EYBL team. He led the team to back-to-back Peach Jam berths in Augusta, South Carolina. Williams has coached such stars as Jaden McDaniels (currently with the Minnesota Timberwolves) and Paolo Banchero, who has signed to play at Duke in 2021-22.
During his time in coaching, Williams has worked with 23 players who have competed at the Division I level, four McDonald’s All-Americans and four current NBA players.
Williams starred collegiately at the University of Washington, and was a teammate of Brandon Roy during his time there. They reached the NCAA Sweet 16 twice and were the NCAA number-one seed in 2005 after winning the Pac-12 title. Roy later hired Williams as an assistant at Nathan Hale and Garfield.
Williams earned his degree in Communications from Washington in 2006. He is married and has four children.