UPIKE Athletics

Clifton Williams became the head coach of the University of Pikeville women’s basketball team in the beginning of the 2016-17 season. 

Williams' most successful season came in 2023-24 when he led the Bears to an overall record of 24-8, going 17-5 in their first season in the AAC. They qualified for the NAIA national tournament for the third straight year. That success came off a 21-9 (16-6) season 2022-23, their final season in the Mid-South Conference, qualifying for their second consecutive NAIA National Tournament. The 2022-23 squad featured two First Team All-Conference recipients in Mary Englert and Morgan Stamper, and two Second Team All-Conference nods for Sierra Feltner and Allie Stone. Englert and Stamper were also named Honorable Mention NAIA All-Americans.

In the 2018-19 season, Williams made his return to the NAIA National Tournament, his second appearance in three seasons. After appearing in the NAIA National tournament during the 2021-22 season, Williams has now made the most appearances of any coach in program history. He also became the second coach in program history to advance past the first round in 2022, and won the first game in the tournament for the Bears since 2016. 

Williams opened the 2016-17 season as the interim head coach, but had that tag removed in January, officially making him Pikeville’s eighth head coach in the history of the program. The Bears didn’t miss a step in the transition, qualifying for their third straight trip to the NAIA National Tournament, as well as a third straight season with at least 20 wins at 21-11.

Prior to coming to UPIKE, Williams spent two seasons as an assistant with the Florida State women’s basketball team, breaking down and analyzing game film, in which he created useful data to help the team reach the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons.
 

Williams also spent three years working for the Kentucky’s men’s basketball program, which included the 2012 national championship squad. Williams’ efforts were critical for Kentucky’s run of success in each of his three seasons, creating various charts and statistical data that were very useful for the coaching staff. Williams put together reports that were beneficial for scouting both the opposition as well as devising Kentucky’s own game plan.

Williams was an essential piece to the Dominican Republican National Team for three months in the summer of 2012, taking on video coordinator roles that included editing scout film, researching and writing scouting reports and conducting film sessions with the team.

Prior to his work on the video side, Williams’ versatile background also includes stints as both a boy’s and girl’s basketball coach at the high-school level. From 2010-11, he was the head junior varsity coach as well as an assistant varsity boy’s basketball coach at Sayre in Lexington, Ky. Prior to that, he spent over two years in the same role at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans, La., and has spent time as an assistant coach on the AAU circuit.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education while minoring in Psychology at the University of Kentucky and has an MBA from the University of Pikeville. Williams has three children -- Eric, Tess and Bo.
 

Williams’ Season-By Season Record