Jamaal Williams has returned to an assistant coaching role with Portland State Men’s Basketball for the 2025-26 season. Williams previously coached at PSU from 2021-22 before moving to an assistant role at UNLV.
“We are very fortunate to have Coach Williams back with us,” said Head Coach Jase Coburn. “He has experience at Portland State and we know what he brings to the table. He has also grown as a coach in the collegiate coaching ranks over the past few years.
“We will rely heavily on him from a coaching perspective and I am happy for our players. Our thinking aligns in that we are here for our student-athletes. I know how passionate Jamaal is about basketball, the spirit he brings to the program and his high-level work ethic.”
Williams was part of Coburn’s first staff at PSU. The Vikings won a pair of games in the Big Sky Conference Tournament that season, knocking off second-seed Southern Utah, and advanced to the tourney semifinals as a number-seven seed.
He moved on to coach with UNLV over the past three seasons. The Running Rebels won 58 games and made an appearance in the National Invitational Tournament over that span.
Williams was an assistant coach at powerhouse high schools Garfield and Nathan Hale in the Seattle area over a span of eight years (2013-21).
Williams was part of five Washington state championships at those schools. Nathan Hale was the National Champion in 2017, led by star Michael Porter Jr.
From 2017-21, Williams was the Head Coach of the AAU Seattle Rotary Nike EYBL team. He led the team to back-to-back Peach Jam berths in Augusta, South Carolina. Williams has coached such stars as Jaden McDaniels (currently with the Minnesota Timberwolves) and Paolo Banchero, who has signed to play at Duke in 2021-22.
During his time in high school coaching, Williams worked with 23 players who have competed at the Division I level, four McDonald’s All-Americans and four current NBA players.
Williams starred collegiately at the University of Washington, and was a teammate of Brandon Roy during his time there. They reached the NCAA Sweet 16 twice and were the NCAA number-one seed in 2005 after winning the Pac-12 title. Roy later hired Williams as an assistant at Nathan Hale and Garfield.
Williams earned his degree in Communications from Washington in 2006. He is married and has four children.
THE JAMAAL WILLIAMS FILE
2nd year at Portland State
Hometown: Corona, CA
Alma Mater: Washington, 2006, Communications
Playing Career: Washington, 2003-06; New Mexico, 2001-03; played professionally in Italy, France, Iceland, Argentina, Israel and the Philippines
Date of Birth: January 19, 1983
Family: wife, Brandi; children Jayda (21), Brooklyn (18), Braylen (16) and Jorgia (11)
COACHING EXPERIENCE
2022-25
UNLV, Assistant Coach
2021-22
Portland State, Assistant Coach
2017-21
Garfield HS (Seattle, WA), Assistant Coach
2016-17
Nathan HS (Seattle, WA), Assistant Coach
2013-16
Garfield HS (Seattle, WA), Assistant Coach
