The University of Denver men’s basketball program has hired Shammond Williams as a new assistant coach on its coaching staff, head coach Jeff Wulbrun announced on Wednesday.
“As we look to continue to progress as a program, experience is a necessity in building a staff and competing for championships,” Wulbrun said. “Shammond’s presence will immensely benefit our student-athletes. He played in the NBA for nine seasons and had a 16-year pro career. He played for Dean Smith at North Carolina, where he participated in three Final Fours and was the all-time leader in five statistical categories when he left UNC. He has also coached at the D-I level for eight years. His experience will be beneficial in so many areas on and off the court; player development, strategic planning offensively and defensively, game management and mentorship to name a few. I am thrilled to welcome Shammond and his family to the University of Denver and our basketball program.”
Willaims recently completed his third season as an assistant coach on the Old Dominion women’s basketball coaching staff under the direction of DeLisa Milton-Jones. The Monarchs went 22-10 and 12-6 in league play last season, reaching the Sun Belt Conference Semifinal before earning a second trip to the WNIT in Williams’ stint at ODU. With Williams on staff, the Monarchs earned at least 22 wins in all three seasons and went 12-6 in all three conference campaigns. In his first season with ODU, the Monarchs secured power-5 wins over Auburn and Texas Tech and reached the second round of the WNIT.
“I am extremely excited, about having the opportunity to represent the University of Denver and Head Coach Jeff Wulbrun.,” Williams said. “Coach Wulbrun is a great coach but an even better person, and the coaching world knows it. Jeff, cares about his players and staff, and a well respected coach in our profession. I’m blessed to have been able to work for an awesome individual in Delisha Milton Jones, and transition to another in Jeff Wulbrun. My family and I are eager to come back to the Mile High City and represent The University of Denver and Pioneer family. “
Prior to his time with ODU, Williams served on men’s basketball staffs at Furman (2012-13), Tulane (2013-16) and Western Kentucky (2016-17). In his three seasons at Tulane, the Green Wave won as many as 17 games, made an appearance in the CBI and successfully transitioned to the American Athletic Conference.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Williams played professional basketball for 13 seasons in both the NBA and across the rest of the world. Williams was drafted by Chicago with the 34th overall pick (2nd round), and had NBA stints with the Atlanta Hawks (1998-99), Seattle SuperSonics (1999-02), Boston Celtics (2002-03), Denver Nuggets (2003), Orlando Magic (2003-04), New Orleans Hornets (2004) and the Los Angeles Lakers (2006-07). Williams made 325 appearances in his NBA career, averaging 5.8 points, 2.4 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 16.5 minutes per game.
In his collegiate playing career at North Carolina, Williams played under legendary coaches Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge. During his time in Chapel Hill, Williams played in three Finals Fours (1995, 1997, 1998). In his senior season, Williams averaged 16.8 points and 4.2 assists, guiding North Carolina to a 34-4 record. He departed the UNC program owning single-season and career records in free-throw percentage (.911/.849), three-pointers (95/233).
Shammond Williams College Basketball Coaching Timeline
2021-24 – Old Dominion – Assistant Coach (WBB)
2016-17 – Western Kentucky – Assistant Coach
2013-16 – Tulane – Assistant Coach
2012-13 – Furman – Assistant Coach
