Pooh Williamson Added to TCU Coaching Staff
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FORT WORTH — TCU men’s basketball head coach Trent Johnson announced Friday the addition of veteran assistant coach Alvin “Pooh” Williamson to his Horned Frog staff. Williamson, who owns 16 years experience as a college coach, joins TCU following one season at SMU.
“We are very fortunate to be able to add a coach the level of Pooh to our staff,” Johnson said. “He owns considerable experience and is a well-respected individual in the college game who possesses high character. Pooh has contributed to several winning programs during his career in addition to being very successful on the recruiting trail.”
Williamson has been a part of coaching staffs that have guided teams to seven NCAA Tournament bids in the last 11 years. In addition to his time at SMU (2011-12), he also has served stints at Texas A&M (2007-11), Wichita State (2005-07), Tulsa (2001-05), Tulane (2000-01), Illinois State (1998-00) and Washington State (1996-98). He received head coaching experience with
Tulsa during the 2004-05 campaign, when he served as the team’s interim head coach for the second half of the season.
Williamson was part of a highly successful run at Texas A&M that saw the Aggies earn four consecutive at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament under former head coach Mark Turgeon between 2008 and 2011. He helped the program compile a 97-40 overall record an at least 24 victories each season, while the Aggies advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round three times during the run. Texas A&M finished tied for second (11-5) and third (10-6) in the Big 12 Conference standings in his last two seasons on campus.
During his stint at Texas A&M, Williamson coached a pair of future NBA talents in Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donald Sloan. Sloan attended Seagoville High School in Dallas, the same school that recent Frog addition Devonta Abron.
Williamson followed Turgeon to College Station from Wichita State, where he helped the Shockers win a Missouri Valley Conference championship and advance to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2006.
Prior to his time on Turgeon’s Wichita State staff, Williamson was an assistant coach at Tulsa for four years before serving as the GoldenHurricane’s interim head coach midway through 2004-05 season. The Hurricane went 68-57 overall during his four seasons on campus, winning the 2002 WAC title and advancing to the NCAA second round twice. As the interim head coach, he posted his first career victory vs. New Mexico State (83-63) on Jan. 10,2005 before finishing the season with a 7-15 record.
Williamson served as an assistant at Tulane for one season in 2000-01 following two seasons at Illinois State, where he tutored guards Victor Williams and Tarise Bryson, the MVC’s Freshman and Newcomer of the Year, respectively. He earned his start in the college coaching world with two seasons at Washington State, where he was instrumental in the development of starting point guard Blake Pengally, who posted 120 assists as a freshman.
A four-year letterwinner at Tulsa, Williamson played in 118 career games and was one of the driving forces behind Tulsa’s back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1994 and 1995. As the Golden Hurricane’s point guard, he averaged 38 minutes per game in six career NCAA Tournament contests. He started 63 games in his final two seasons and earned first-team All-MVC andall-defensive team honors after averaging 12.8 points as a senior in 1995. Williamson completed his Tulsa career ranked No. 7 on the school’s career assists chart and No. 10 on the career steals list.
A native of Beggs, Okla., Williamson led Beggs High School to two Oklahoma Class 2A state championships. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management from Tulsa in 1995. He and hiswife, Rosemary, have two sons, Jamal and Joshua.
Williamson fills the third and final assistant coach vacancy on the TCU staff following the earlier additions of Donny Guerinoni and Brent Scott.
