April 5, 2008...2:15 am
Meet Ryun Williams
Hopefully you watched the Wayne State-North Dakota women’s basketball game at the regional tournament in Vermillion last month.
If you did, you were watching USD’s next coach in action. And like many of us, you probably had no idea.
Thursday, Ryun Williams was named the new Coyote women’s basketball coach. He replaces Chad Lavin, who just a week ago was coaching USD in the Division II national championship game.
But that was then. Now, welcome to the Williams Era.
The 39-year-old Williams spent a decade as the head coach at Wayne State College (Neb.) where he compiled 181 wins.
Said Williams in the USD press release:
The University of South Dakota is the right place for us to be and we could not be more excited to come back to the place that gave us our start. I have the utmost respect for coach Lavin, who has been a great friend over the years and it is a privilege to take over his team and build on the momentum he established. I can’t wait to get to work and coach the heck out of this team.
Williams is a 1992 USD graduate and played two seasons for the Coyote men, under head coach Dave Boots. He later served as one of Boots’ assistants before leaving to begin his head coaching career.
Now, it’ll come full circle. Williams will guide the Coyotes into the Division I waters, which will provide him and the team with numerous challenges.
But, don’t be discouraged, Coyote fans. Williams will bring the energy, excitement, enthusiasm and coaching savvy needed for such a challenging stretch.
Ryun Williams. Get to know him.
— — Jeremy Hoeck
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