Corliss Williamson is New UCA Coach

Corliss Williamson is the new coach of the Bears basketball team, UCA Athletic Director Brad Teague announced this afternoon.

Williamson is an Arkansas native who played high school ball for the Russellville Cyclones and became a statewide legend playing for the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. He was on the Hogs' 1994 national championship team and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament that year.

Williamson played for 12 years in the NBA and was on the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons NBA championship team. He retired from the NBA in 2007 and has been an assistant coach at Arkansas Baptist College for the past three seasons.

Williamson said he would start work as the new head coach immediately following the 2 p.m. press conference announcing his hiring. He said he would be in Hot Springs tonight to watch the high school state championship tournament to look for recruits.

Williamson said his plan for the UCA team is a full court press style of play full of fast breaks and dunks. He said that his practices will be just as hard as the practices he went through while playing for former Razorbacks coach Nolan Richardson.

"I like to win," Williamson said. "We are going to play a style of basketball that is fast-paced and fun to watch. I love every aspect of basketball and I want our fans to enjoy it just as much."

Corliss Williamson

Teague said he was told earlier this week that Williamson was interested in the job and they began talking last Tuesday. Teague said it quickly became obvious to him that Williamson was the right choice.

"There were several outstanding coaches who were interested in being a head coach, but there was only one who wanted to be the UCA head coach," Teauge said.

Junior guard Imad Qahwash said he was excited to hear Williamson talk about the new style of basketball the team will be playing.

"I think this is going to give our guards a chance to play to their full potential," Qahwash said.

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