From Greg to Fred.
Utah Starzz coach Denise Taylor and her returning players won't have to learn a new name for their assistant coach. Just call him "Coach Williams."Taylor and the Starzz have hired Fred Williams, a bass player who has his own music studio and a compact disk on sale now to be the new Starzz assistant. He also happens to be the University of Southern California women's coach.
Williams replaces Greg Williams, who assisted Taylor in the first year of the franchise but took a similar position in February with the WNBA expansion Detroit Shock. The new Williams was to begin his new job today.
Williams last season coached USC to a 20-9 record and a trip to the NCAA Tournament's second round, but he allegedly resigned after two seasons as head coach in a mutual-agreement situation. Media reports said some players complained to the administration about him.
Williams also was a USC assistant for 10 years, two as associate head coach with hall of famer Cheryl Miller, now coaching Phoenix of the WNBA. Williams also assisted the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA in their free-agent tryout camp and has for three years had his own basketball camps. Utah opens its second season June 11 hosting the Sparks at the Delta Center.
"Fred Williams comes with very strong recommendations from both NBA and WNBA people," says Starzz VP of basketball operations Scott Layden.
Taylor has said the choice of an assistant coach was entirely up to her.
The WNBA free-agent draft will be held via teleconference April 29, and the league is beginning to sign players who will be eligible for that draft. Utah, last in the WNBA last season, will have the first pick in each draft round.
The WNBA announced the signing Tuesday of University of Maine guard Cindy Blodgett, 5-foot-9, who led the nation in scoring in 1995-96 (27.8) and 1996-97 (27.0) and who was second (27.0) this season. She is only the second female collegian to win back-to-back scoring titles.
In the inaugural WBCA All-Star Challenge Saturday, Blodgett was selected MVP of the victorious Eastern team and led all scorers with 17 points.
The WNBA will hold its 1998 Pre-Draft Camp to include college seniors, veteran pros and international players at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago April 16-18.