Jalen Courtney-Williams, whose most recent coaching stops have been at LSU and Creighton, has joined Ron Nored’s Butler staff as an assistant coach.
Courtney-Williams spent two seasons at LSU under coach Matt McMahon following three seasons of BIG EAST experience at Creighton. His 11-year coaching career also includes serving on staffs at McNeese State and Mississippi State.
“I’m excited for Jalen and his family to join the Butler community,” said Nored, who was hired last month. “Jalen is a strong teacher of the game and developer of talent, a relentless recruiter, and he does an exceptional job of building relationships with his players. He has hit the ground running and will play a large role in our success moving forward.”
Courtney-Williams returned to LSU in 2024. He played a large role in signing a recruiting class that was ranked in the Top 25 in Division I and a stellar transfer group that was ranked 16th by 247sports.com. He served as the host of LSU’s basketball podcast, “No Timeouts”, which aired on LSU+.
Creighton advanced to the NCAA Tournament in all three years he was on the staff (2021-24), advancing to the 2023 Elite 8, 2024 Sweet 16 as well as the second round in 2022. The Bluejays combined for 72 wins during that three-year stretch.
Courtney-Williams played an extensive part in Creighton’s recruiting class that was ranked among the nation’s best, which included three members of the 2021-22 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. His work with Ryan Kalkbrenner helped him earn BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in each of his three seasons on staff and Kalkbrenner was also a national finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. Offensively, he was ranked in the top five nationally in field goal percentage.
Courtney-Williams spent three years at McNeese State (2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-21) as an assistant coach and following the 2020-21 season he was promoted to associate head coach before ultimately accepting the coaching position at Creighton. Among his top performers were All-Southland performer Sha’Markus Kennedy, a 6-foot-8 forward who was also tabbed the 2020 Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
He spent three years on the staff at Mississippi State, where he served as a graduate assistant and also as the team’s video coordinator.
Courtney-Williams played in 61 games at LSU in three seasons (2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13) before transferring to Morehead State where after sitting out a transfer season in 2013-14, he played for MSU in the 2014-15 season.
A McDonald’s All-American nominee, Courtney-Williams led Provine High School in Jackson, Miss., to two 5A state titles as well as two runner-up finishes in his prep career. As a senior, he averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds en route to garnering All-State and All-Metro accolades while also being tabbed the Mississippi High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Courtney-Williams earned his degree from Morehead State in communications in 2015. He and his wife, La’Shya, have three daughters, Sevyn, Salem and Snoh.
Courtney-Williams’ Coaching Career
2024-26: LSU, Assistant Coach
2021-24: Creighton, Assistant Coach
2021: McNeese State, Associate Head Coach
2018-21: McNeese State, Assistant Coach
2017-18: Mississippi State, Video Coordinator
2015-17: Mississippi State, Graduate Assistant
Jalen Courtney-Williams named Assistant Basketball Coach at Butler
