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After stops at Iowa and South Florida, Jaida Williams enters her first season as one of UC Santa Barbara's assistant coaches.
Williams joins the Gaucho staff after two successful seasons as an assistant at the University of South Florida, where she assisted with recruiting, game preparation, and player development under Jose Fernandez.
Before joining the staff at USF, Williams served as the director of operations at the University of Iowa for one season.
Prior to joining Iowa's staff, Williams was a standout player for Cal Poly Pomona, helping the Broncos to a 23-7 record her senior season. Graduating in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in journalism, Williams helped lead Cal Poly Pomona to a spot in the NCAA Tournament Regional Final before losing to Seattle Pacific.
Originally recruited to play at Barry University by current USF coach Jose Fernandez, Williams helped the Buccaneers to a 21-9 record as a freshman, where she was named to the Sunshine State Conference's All-Freshmen Team. In her sophomore season at Barry, Williams led the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 15.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game earning recognition on the All-SSC First Team and as a Kodak All-American honorable mention.
"You meet Jaida for five minutes, and you know she is special," says head coach Lindsay Gottlieb. "She has a personality that fills up a room, she is a talented coach and recruiter, and she will be a tremendous mentor to our young women. I am thrilled that Jaida is coming back to California and joining the Gaucho family."
Respected in the women's basketball world as an excellent recruiter, Williams will be heavily involved in that capacity in Santa Barbara. She will also work with the wings, serve as the team's compliance liaison, and be involved in scouting.
A native of Miami, Williams is the daughter of Michael and Teresa Williams. She has two younger sisters, Jamie (11) and Kathleen (9).
