Ashley Williams could only stand to be away from the IU women’s basketball team for so long.
As a graduate assistant, Williams helped guide the Hoosiers to a 2018 National Invitational Tournament title and an appearance in the round of 32 in the NCAA tournament in 2019. After serving as an assistant coach at Furman University in the 2020 season, Williams will be returning to IU as a paid assistant, she announced Tuesday night on Twitter.
“IM BACK HOOSIERS!!! I am beyond excited to be heading back to B-Town!!” Williams said in a tweet.
Over Williams’ two years supporting IU head coach Teri Moren at IU, the team held a 44-27 record and a 17-17 mark in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers also took down four ranked opponents during that time.
With Williams on the Furman staff last season, the Paladins notched a 19-12 overall record and 8-6 line in the Southern Conference.
The coaching position at IU opened up after former assistant coach Janese Constantine left the program in June to follow her husband Paul to the University of Alabama where he’s the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the football team.
Before her time with the Hoosiers, Williams starred on the hardwood at North Carolina State University. After joining the Wolfpack as a walk-on, Williams worked herself into a two-time starter.
As a captain in her senior season, Williams helped push NC State to a 23-9 record while advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament. She concluded her career ranked sixth in program history with 168 3-pointers and fourth in 3-point field goal percentage with a 37.6% average.
Williams will return to an IU squad that racked up 24 wins and was bound for another NCAA tournament last year before the season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rising senior guard Ali Patberg, IU’s leader in points and assists per game last season, will be back for the Hoosiers, along with rising junior guard Grace Berger, who averaged 13.1 points per game. The Hoosiers will have all five of their top scorers from last season returning for Moren and Williams to work with.
“Welcome Back Ash! Yes, it’s time to #dotheWORK,” Moren said in a tweet.
