Kentucky officially hires Mo Williams as assistant coach: ‘I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity’

It’s official: Mo Williams is a Kentucky Wildcat.

KSR first reported the news back on March 30, and now, Mark Pope has gone public with the hire, making him the newest assistant coach in Lexington.

A 13-year NBA veteran and the head coach at Jackson State for the past four seasons, Williams fills in following Jason Hart’s departure to SMU. His son, four-star guard Mason Williams, was the program’s first commitment in 2026 — and the former All-Star wasn’t too far behind.

“Mo brings a level of toughness, experience and authenticity that our players will immediately connect with,” Pope said Monday. “He’s been where they want to go, and he understands what it takes to get there. Beyond that, he’s a teacher of the game and a hard-nose competitor. I’m excited to have him and can’t wait to see the impact he’ll have on our program.”

As many of you likely remember, Williams won a world championship with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. Before that, he was named an NBA All-Star with the same franchise in 2009. Across his entire career, the UK assistant averaged 13.2 points, 4.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game over 818 games while shooting 43.4 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three. As an All-Star, he averaged 17.8 points and 4.1 assists per contest.

“I am excited to be joining the Big Blue Nation family,” Williams said. “I couldn’t ask for a better opportunity and I’m extremely grateful.”

Williams began his coaching career as an assistant at Cal State Northridge. From there, he was named head coach at Alabama State before taking over at Jackson State. During his time with the Tigers, he led them to the 2025 SWAC title game and finished runner-up in the regular season with a 14-4 league record. They went to the quarterfinals in 2026, led by SWAC POTY and HBCU National Player of the Year Daeshun Ruffin, who finished fourth in the country in scoring with 23.3 PPG.

He joins the likes of Cody Fueger, Mikhail McLean and Mark Fox in Lexington, while one spot remains open following Alvin Brooks III’s departure for NC State.

Welcome to the family, Mo Williams!