Joe Williams (basketball)


Joe Williams is a retired college basketball coach. He was head coach of the Jacksonville University men's basketball team from 1964 to 1970, Furman University from 1970 to 1978 and the Florida State University from 1978 to 1986.

Career

Williams notably led Artis Gilmore and the Dolphins of Jacksonville University to the final game of the 1970 NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Sidney Wicks and the UCLA Bruins, coached by John Wooden, 80–69.
During his eight-year tenure at Furman, the Paladins made it to the NCAA Tournament five times ; won the Southern Conference Tournament five times and the regular-season SoCon title three times.
Williams is one of only 25 head coaches to have led three different teams to the NCAA tournament. He is a 1994 inductee of the Jacksonville University athletic hall of fame, and a 1996 inductee of the Furman University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Williams' son, Blake, was an assistant basketball coach at Furman University in 2010. A nephew, Brian Johnson, is an MLB pitcher.