This weekend is about teams earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tourney. For the blue bloods it is no big deal, as many of them are good enough to receive an at-large bid if they cannot win their conference tourney, but for the teams in the smaller conferences it is a case of win-or-go-home. AB Williamson spent almost 15 years as head coach at Howard but his only NCAA tourney appearance came almost 40 years ago: he won 3 games in 3 days at the MEAC tourney, then got to travel across the country to Pauley Pavilion to face Wyoming. It did not go well…but the point is that he made it to the Madness, which only 68 coaches get to do each year. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with AB about his coaching tree and his 1 shining moment. Today is the 41st anniversary of that NCAA tourney game on March 12, 1981, so we take this time to remember that remarkable achievement.
You were hired as coach at Howard in 1975: why did you take the job, and how did you 1st get into coaching? I got interested in coaching by watching Dr. Roundtree. I was an average player in high school, but watched the great Cal Irving coach at North Carolina A&T. I loved developing my own concepts. I guess I was about 22 years old when I became head coach at Eastern. We were about .500 my 1st year but got better after that. I got an anonymous call from Howard to apply, and got the job at age 29 despite not knowing about all the NCAA rules: it was a learning experience.
What are your memories of the 1981 NCAA tourney, the 1st in school history (Charles Bradley scored 20 PTS in a win by Wyoming)? To be honest, we had a better team the previous year but our league did not get an automatic bid. I think if we had made the tourney in 1980 then we would have had a good chance to win a game. Wyoming had a very tall team and we did not have the depth to match up with them after getting into foul trouble. We were the 1st team from our conference to make the NCAA tourney, which I am proud of.
You were a 3-time conference COY: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? After you look back and reflect on your career, I am proud of that. I left coaching early to focus on my family. I am proudest of making the MEAC and Howard Halls of Fame.
You lost 8 conference tourney finals: you obviously know what it takes to get the title game, but what is the key to winning it all? You have to have a little luck and both you and your kids need to come through in the end. There was a different factor every year: North Carolina A&T just seemed to have our #. 1 time we had a pair of 85-90% FT shooters going to the line at the end but we just missed a lot of FTs. Everyone has an Achilles heel. If I had to do it again I might do a few different things. Just look at LeBron James: the Heat should have lost to a few teams in the playoffs when he was in Miami, but he was able to come through in the clutch.
You had several players who went on to become D-1 coaches (including Dennis Felton/Milan Brown/Cy Alexander): what character traits do you see in players who end up being coaches? You can always tell very early when a kid has leadership ability. We had some others as well. Dennis was a very smart kid. Mike Jones came from a basketball family. Milan is a great kid from a great basketball family. We had quite a few come through the ranks and do a good job on all levels.
You remain the winningest coach in school history: what made you such a good coach, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? The way the game is now I do not think that anyone will stick around for 15 years like I did. All records are made to be broken, but I do not see anyone right now who will break the record. You need longevity and you need to win, but I am sure that someone will come along and do a great job. I just tried to graduate my kids and teach them to be good citizens.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? Just as a guy who learned and worked very hard. I had a good rapport with my student athletes so it makes me feel good when they keep in touch. I did the best I could at all times despite a lack of resources. I have no regrets and I held my own.