Passion, dedication, and enthusiasm are just a few words used to describe McNeese State’s winningest coach Brooks Donald Williams. Williams, who enters her ninth season as head coach of the Cowgirls, became the school’s all-time leader after a 79-74 road win at Sam Houston State, giving her 132 career wins. Williams guided McNeese to an 18-14 record in 2015 and its seventh Southland Conference Tournament appearance.
After taking over a program that didn’t have a winning record in nearly a decade, Williams has posted a 110-57 record since 2010 and led McNeese to five consecutive postseason tournaments including two NCAA Tournaments and three WBI Tournaments. Williams’ energetic and hard working demeanor have been the backbone in establishing McNeese as a force not only in the Southland Conference, but throughout the country.
With a fiercely competitive Williams at the helm, the Cowgirls have posted 20 or more wins in three of the last five seasons, narrowly missing their fourth straight 20-win season in 2014 with a 19-14 record after graduating two of the programs greats, twin sisters, Ashlyn and Caitlyn Baggett in 2013. In her nine year stint, Williams has produced an overall career record of 141-117, averaging over 17 wins per season.
After inheriting a team in a troubled APR situation, success in the classroom has been a focal point for the highly motivated Williams since her arrival in 2007. McNeese has produced four Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the year winners, Allison Baggett (2014) and Ashlyn Baggett (2011-2013), 10 Southland Conference All-Academic Team selections, and an impressive 100% graduation rate for players that have exhausted their eligibility.
Williams has been a master at skill development during her tenure at McNeese producing 16 SLC All-Conference selections, seven SLC All-Tournament team selections, two SLC Tournament MVPs, one SLC Newcomer of the Year selection, and nine All-Louisiana selections. McNeese has won 70.1% (61-26) of their Southland Conference games since 2010 and ranked #1 in the SLC in scoring defense from 2010-2012.
A true innovator, Williams has been instrumental in marketing her program and creating a truly exciting basketball atmosphere in Lake Charles. Under Williams, attendance has more than tripled since 2010, and her Cowgirls own the top ten home attendance records in program history, highlighted by the 4,089 fans that witnessed a highly competitive game versus LSU on December 16, 2011.
Giving back to the community is one of the cornerstones of the McNeese women’s basketball program. Williams and the Cowgirls have participated in numerous community service activities including the Ethel Precht Breast Cancer Walk, Habitat for Humanity, Buddy Ball, CADA, Special Olympics, Rowdy’s Readers, Junior League’s Fit Kids, Derby for Dollars, FCA Night of Champions, American Cancer Society Walk, Mall-0-Ween, Zydeco Festival, Lake Charles Senior Center Clean-up and the JD Bank Toys for Tots drive to name a few.
In 2014, senior Cowgirl Netanya Jones received national recognition at the Women’s Final Four in Nashville, TN for her community service efforts by being named to the Allstate/WBCA Good Works Team.
In August of 2013, Williams received the President’s Award for outstanding community service for a McNeese administrator. Williams was also recognized by Toys for Tots Southwest Louisiana for outstanding achievement in support of the community and for Toys for Tots in 2010. She was named one of Southwest Louisiana’s Up and Coming Under 40 recipients by the Times of Southwest Louisiana and Fusion Five in 2009. Also in 2009, Williams founded and directed the McNeese Cowgirl Basketball Lyrics and Layups fundraiser, which has evolved into an annual community event in the spring.
In 2013, Williams posted a 21-15 overall record and 11-7 conference record and advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament for the third consecutive season and sixth in last seven years. Williams picked up her 100th career victory with a 65-45 win over Northwestern State on March 13, 2013 in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament. Following the conference tournament, a fiery Williams led her team to the program’s first ever postseason victory with an 82-70 win over the #1 seeded Mercer Bears in the first round of the WBI. The Cowgirls continued to make program history with wins over #4 seeded Elon and #6 seeded South Dakota vaulting them into the WBI championship game versus Detroit.
In 2012, Williams led the Cowgirls to their second consecutive SLC Tournament title and NCAA Tournament. The Cowgirls nearly picked up their first NCAA Tournament win against Kentucky, falling 68-62 to the SEC regular season champions. The Cowgirls posted a 26-8 overall record and a 13-3 conference record and a 12-2 home record. Four of the eight losses were to teams ranked in the preseason Top 25 poll including the 2012 National Champs Baylor, UCLA, LSU and defending 2011 National Champions Texas A&M. The Cowgirls also played in the preseason WNIT (at UCLA) and hosted a WNIT consolation tournament, which the Cowgirls won versus Alabama Birmingham.
Williams led McNeese to its most successful season in school history in 2011 by winning the Southland Conference regular season title, only the second in program history. Williams didn’t stop there as she guided the Cowgirls to their first Southland Conference Tournament title and first NCAA Tournament appearance that same year. For her accomplishments on the court, Williams was named the league’s and Louisiana’s Coach of the Year.
Williams led the Cowgirls to a 26-7 overall record, 15-1 Southland Conference record, and an undefeated home record (15-0) during the 2010-11 season. The 20-win season was the first for the Cowgirls in 24 years. The overall record matched the best turnaround in NCAA history following a 7-22 record in 2009-10. The 26 overall and 15 conference wins are school records. The Cowgirls got off to their best conference start (6-0) in school history and the 14-5 start was the best overall start in 14 years. McNeese tied the school’s longest winning streak (12 games) and won 19 of its last 21 games of the season. McNeese broke into a poll for the first time in school history, the collegeinsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 Women’s Basketball poll on Feb. 15, 2011, coming in at No. 25. The Cowgirls ended the season ranked No. 15 in the final poll.
In 2009, McNeese picked up a milestone victory with a win over three-time National Champions Louisiana Tech. That year the Cowgirls shot a school record, led the Southland Conference (for the second straight year), and ranked 76th in the nation with a 71.8 free throw percent in 2009. The Cowgirls also ranked second in the SLC with a 34.3 three-point field goal percent.
In her first season, Williams guided the Cowgirls to a 10-21 record and a second place tie in the East Division after being picked to finish sixth in the preseason polls. Williams led the Cowgirls to victories in four of their last six games and advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament.
Williams’ 2007-08 squad broke seven McNeese records (six team and one individual), tied two, and set a Southland Conference record with 16 three-pointers made in a road victory at Lamar. The Cowgirls handed the Cardinals their first home loss of the season that night. The Cowgirls also upset longtime national powerhouse Stephen F. Austin and eventual Southland Conference Tournament champion and NCAA participant Texas-San Antonio. McNeese ended the season leading the league in free throw shooting percent, ranked second in three-point field goals made and assist-turnover ratio, and ranked third in three-point field goal percent.
Williams, McNeese’s ninth head coach, brought interest and excitement back to the Cowgirl program in her first season and has built it into a championship program.
In her first full recruiting season at McNeese, Williams continued to show why she is a proven recruiter by signing the Louisiana 3A and 5A state MVP’s and the Northeast Louisiana “Player of the Year”. The following year, Williams signed the 2009 Louisiana Sports Writers’ Miss Basketball and Class B outstanding player and MVP, along with two local all-state players and a national junior college scoring leader.
Off the court, the ambitious Williams continues to be involved in the growth and development of women’s basketball at the regional and national levels. She has been a member of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for over a decade. Williams is currently serving in her fourth year as the WBCA Southland Conference Captain. She is also serving in her second year on the USA TODAY Top 25 Coaches’ Poll committee and served as a NCAA Midwest Regional Advisory Committee member from 2012-2014. Williams is a 2014 graduate of the Center for Coaching Excellence, an invitation-only leadership program hosted by the WBCA and Columbia University. Williams also attended Selections 101, the 2014 Mock Selection Exercise at the NCAA Headquarters in Indianapolis.
A native of Jennings, La., Williams spent three years at the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to her stint with the Lady Eagles, she spent one season at the University of Memphis and three years at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
Williams served as recruiting coordinator at all three universities. She signed several prep standouts throughout her recruiting years and all three recruiting classes at Southern Miss ranked among some of the best in the region. She signed the Arkansas Player of the Year, Mississippi Player of the Year, a junior college All-American, as well as ten Top 100 players in the country.
Between college stops, Williams served temporarily as head coach at St. Thomas More High in Lafayette, La.
As a prep player at Jennings High, Williams earned All-State, All-Parish and All-District honors. She was a four-year starter and played in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association all-star game, serving as team captain. Her Jennings squad won four straight district titles.
Williams was also a member of the Acadiana Stars AAU program during her prep days, participating in state and national tournaments.
She was a member of the Lady Bulldogs squad at Mississippi State University, from which she holds a bachelor degree, but her playing career was sidelined due to injuries.
Williams is the daughter of Jennings community members, David and Brenda Donald and the granddaughter and great niece of Dan L. Donald and Walter “Bunk” Donald, former Jennings business leaders and owners of W.B. Donald Chevrolet and Cadillac and founders of Jeff Davis Bank & Trust Company. Williams’ uncle, Dan Donald, currently serves as Chairman of the board of JD Bank.
Williams has one brother, The Reverend Seth Donald, who resides in Lake Charles and serves as the Associate Priest at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. She has three nieces, Mary Brooks, Eliza, and Mae Donald.
Williams’ family coaching mentor is her uncle and godfather, Doug Fowler. Coach Fowler, a 2008 Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame inductee is an extremely active leader of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and former Mississippi Association of Coaches executive director who served the coaching profession for over 40 years in the high school and collegiate ranks.
The 37 year old is married to Tyler Williams, a native of Memphis, Tennessee. Tyler currently serves as Vice President and Marketing Director for JD Bank.
Year-by-Year
Season Record Conf. Finish
2014-15 18-14 11-7 5th SLC, WBI Tourn.
2013-14 19-14 10-8 7th SLC, WBI Tourn.
2012-13 21-15 11-7 T4th SLC, WBI Tourn.
2011-12 26-8 13-3 2nd SLC,
SLC Tournament Champs,
NCAA Tournament
2010-11 26-7 15-1 SLC Champs,
SLC Tournament Champs,
NCAA Tournament
2009-10 7-22 3-13 T-10th SLC
2008-09 14-16 6-10 7th SLC
2007-08 10-21 8-8 T-2nd (East Division)
Hometown
Jennings, LA
High School
Jennings High (1996)
Alma Mater
Mississippi State, 2000
Collegiate Playing Experience
Member of the Lady Bulldogs squad at Mississippi State but injury ended her career
High School Playing Career
(1992-1996)
• four year starter
• team captain
• all-district, all-parish, all-state
• played in LHSAA all-star game, served as team captain
• member of the Acadiana Stars AAU team
Coaching Experience
• McNeese State (2007-present)
Head Coach
• Southern Miss (2004-2007)
Assistant Coach, recruiting coordinator
• University of Memphis (2003-2004)
Assistant Coach, recruiting coordinator
• St.Thomas More High School (2003)
• Arkansas- Little Rock (2000-2003)
Assistant Coach
• AAU Coach (2000)
Mississippi Pride (Oxford, MS)
• AAU Coach (1995-1999)
Acadiana Stars (Lafayette, LA)
Highlights
• Led McNeese to five straight postseason tournaments (2 NCAA, 3 WBI)
• Led McNeese to the WBI Championship game and programs first postseason win (2013)
• Led McNeese to back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament Titles and NCAA Tournaments (2012, 2011)
• Led McNeese three consecutive 20 win seasons (2013, 2012, 2011)
• Led McNeese to first NCAA Tournament (2011)
• 2011 Southland Conference Champions
• 2011 Southland Conference Tournament Champions
• 2011 Southland Conference "Coach of the Year"
• 2011 Louisiana "Coach of the Year"
• Signed the 2009 Louisiana Sports Writers’ Miss Basketball
• Signed the Louisiana 5A, 3A, Class B State MVP’s
• Signed the Louisiana 3A, Class B Outstanding Players
• Signed Ten Top 100 players in the country
• Signed one Junior College All-American
• Signed a Mississippi and Arkansas “Player of the Year”
