Fred Williams is joining Indiana women’s basketball as an assistant coach, the program announced Friday.
Williams spent 2025-26 with Florida, which finished 18-15 overall. Before that, he served as associate head coach at Auburn for three years, with one NCAA Tournament appearance. The 69-year-old has previous head coaching experience, both in college and the WNBA.
“Fred joining our staff adds another veteran voice to our program, one that has experience across a variety of levels of women’s basketball,” Indiana head coach Teri Moren said in IU’s press release. “He will be a valuable asset to our staff and players and I look forward to the experience he brings with him.”
Williams, 69, served as USC head women’s basketball coach for two seasons in 1995-97, with an NCAA Tournament appearance — and a tournament victory — in year two. He left to join the WNBA in its early years, becoming an assistant and then head coach of the now-defunct Utah Starzz, with three seasons at the helm from 1999-2001.
He also spent two years as an assistant with the now-defunct Charlotte Sting, and then later joined the Atlanta Dream as an assistant from 2009-2012. He stepped in as head coach and general manager of the Dream midyear in 2012, and held that post through 2013 as well. He led the Dream to the 2013 WNBA Finals, but his contract was not renewed. Williams then spent five years as head coach of the Tulsa Shock and Dallas Wings from 2014-18, and followed that with four years as an assistant and interim head coach with the Los Angeles Sparks.
Throughout his 11 seasons as a WNBA head coach, Williams reached the playoffs four times, with the lone Finals appearance.
He becomes the sixth assistant on Moren’s staff, along with Colsten Thompson, Ali Patberg, Paul Miller, Keyanna Warthen, and associate head coach Rhet Wierzba. An IU women’s basketball spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Hoosier that none of the existing five assistants are leaving as Williams arrives.
Programs were previously limited to five on-court assistants, but recent legislation passed this spring has altered that rule to allow any staff member to serve in on-court roles. IU will still be limited to four coaches allowed to leave campus for recruiting — either Moren and three assistants, or four assistants.
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