Davenport University Athletics

Since taking over the women's basketball program in 2011, Mike Williams has kept the winning tradition at Davenport going.

In four years under Williams, the Panthers have extended their streak of nine straight Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference championships, six straight WHAC Tournament titles and 11 consecutive trips to the NAIA Division II Tournament, including one final and two Fab Four appearances.

Altogether, Williams is 130-11 at the helm of Davenport and has won three WHAC Coach of the Year and a WBAC Region Coach of the Year once.

Despite an early upset in the NAIA Tournament, the 2014-15 season was a success, going 32-1 with the program's second perfect regular-season. Davenport led the nation in fewest points allowed per game (48.3) and scoring margin (31.5) while ranking second in defensive field goal percentage (.324).

The program posted a 28-game winning streak during a successful 2013-14 campaign that saw the Panthers finish with a 34-2 overall record and a third Fab Four appearance at the national tournament in the last four seasons. DU also claimed its eighth straight WHAC regular season title and fifth straight WHAC tournament championship.

The 2012-13 season saw the Panthers win a share of their seventh consecutive Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference regular-season championship while earning a fourth straight league tournament title. He also steered the women's basketball team to its second appearance in the NAIA Division II Tournament championship game in three years. The 2012-13 campaign was also highlighted with Williams' 100th career victory.

In his first full season at the helm in 2011-12, Williams led the Lady Panthers to their sixth consecutive WHAC regular season title and third straight WHAC Tournament title with an overall record of 30-5.  The team reached the NAIA Sweet 16 and Williams coached one first-team All-WHAC performer and a pair of NAIA All-Americans.

Williams came to Davenport from the University of Michigan after four seasons as an assistant under head coach Kevin Borseth. At Michigan, he helped the Wolverines reach new levels in their women’s basketball program highlighted by a third place finish in the Big Ten in 2010-11. Prior to UM, Williams was the top assistant at Grand Valley State University.

During Williams' tenure at GVSU, the Lakers, under the direction of head coach Dawn Plitzuweit, earned four NCAA Division II postseason berths, including the National Championship in 2005-06. Grand Valley State compiled a 117-39 (.750) record, including a 68-22 (.756) mark in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

In addition to his on-court coaching duties, Williams was heavily involved in the recruiting process while monitoring the overall academic success of the program. He was responsible for developing defensive strategies and coordinating practice routines. Williams also handled alumnae relations and the administration of the summer basketball camps.

Prior to accepting the associate head coaching position at GVSU, Williams was responsible for starting the women's basketball program at Finlandia University (NCAA Division II) in Hancock, Mich. In three seasons as head coach (1999-2002), Williams guided the Lions to a combined record of 44-33. Williams has a wealth of head coaching experience at the high school level, having led Hancock High School's girls varsity team for 11 seasons (1989-2000). He guided his teams to a combined record of 207-51 (.802) while claiming eight district and four regional championships. Williams also served as head coach of the boy's varsity team at Hancock for five years, tallying a combined record of 72-36 (.667).

Williams began his coaching career in 1986 as head coach of the girl's varsity team at Ironwood High School in Ironwood, Mich. He then moved on to Michigan Technological University (Houghton, Mich.), where he served as assistant head coach under current U-M head coach Kevin Borseth during the 1988-89 season.

A native of Antigo, Wis., Williams graduated from Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and a minor in health education. He played basketball at UWSP under legendary coach Dick Bennett.

Williams is married to the former Amanda Kerkstra and the couple has three sons, Isaiah, Bobby and Titus.