by Noah Arteaga

Mr. Marcus Williams, referred to as “Coach Williams’’ by students and faculty, looks to step into the St. John Bosco spotlight as the new Dean of Students after spending the last two years serving an off-campus assistant coach for the varsity basketball team. Following a fruitful career playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and across Europe, Coach Williams looks to make an impact at Bosco on and off the court.

Coach Williams was born and raised in Los Angeles, where he attended Crenshaw High School. He attended Crenshaw from his freshman year all the way through the end of his junior year. While at Crenshaw, he excelled in the game of basketball and became a nationally ranked prospect.

As his basketball prowess soared in his final year of high school, he moved across the country to Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, where he attended Oak Hill Academy. Oak Hill is considered a prestigious boarding school, reputable not only for its academics, but for its basketball program’s achievements. Oak Hill has been the catapult for the professional careers of NBA legends such as Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.

Coach Williams called it a “no-brainer” when the opportunity presented itself to play at a level he had only dreamed of as a young athlete.

His 12th grade season on the court launched him into early stardom. His play would eventually lead him to receive a scholarship to the University of Connecticut (UConn). At the time of his scholarship opportunity, UConn was at the highest level of collegiate competition in the sport of basketball. 

“Choosing to attend UConn was an easy decision for me. UConn’s basketball program has always been at the top and has a history of success,” said Coach Williams. “As someone who’s been on the court at the highest levels, I appreciated a program that valued excellence and had a record of producing both players and teams.” 

Coach Williams officially committed and was on the finalized roster for UConn’s 2003-2004 Men’s Basketball team. However, he was no stranger to self-inflicted adversity. He shared an incident in which he was suspended from the team for a short amount of time for not upholding a sufficient grade point average. 

“When I look back on my freshman year at UConn, I see it as a mix of both challenges and motivation. It was easy to get distracted and overwhelmed by college where the expectations were both high on the court and in the classroom.” Coach Williams said. “It was a tough year no doubt, but it taught me about resilience and time management. I felt the lessons I learned then carried over into life outside of basketball.”

After struggling to adjust to college life as a notable athlete his freshman year, he was able to achieve some remarkable accolades the following year. At the conclusion of his sophomore season, he was named the Big East Most Improved Player.

After coming off a stellar season in his sophomore year, Coach Williams was knocking on the door to achieving his dream of playing in the NBA. His junior season was his biggest in terms of production on the court.

He averaged 12.3 points, 8.6 assists and shot 86% from the free throw line. In a game against Notre Dame, he recorded the sixth triple-double in UConn basketball history when he scored 18 points, dished out 13 assists and grabbed ten rebounds.

In the 2006 NCAA March Madness Tournament, he averaged 20 points, 8.8 assists, while shooting 52% from the field, 56% from three-point range, and 96% from the free throw line. Coach Williams scored a career-high 26 points in a memorable 98–92 overtime Sweet 16 win against Washington on March 24, 2006.

Coach Williams’ time playing basketball at UConn reached an end after the NCAA tournament, where he and his team would suffer a heart-breaking overtime loss to George-Mason University, 86-84.

But as the door for college basketball began to close, his aspirations to continue playing at the next level flourished. He opted out of his senior year at UConn and declared for the 2006 NBA draft.

The New Jersey Nets selected Coach Williams with the 22nd overall pick in the first round. During his time on the team from 2006 through 2008, he shared the court with NBA Hall-of-Famers Jason Kidd and Vince Carter.

Following his two-year stint with the Nets, Coach Williams would end up playing for the Golden State Warriors for a season and the Memphis Grizzlies the following year. His time in the NBA would ultimately end in 2010, but the opportunity to keep playing basketball presented itself once again.

In August 2010, Coach Williams signed a one-year contract with the Russian team Enisey Krasnoyarsk. Quickly becoming the leader of his new team, he helped Enisey qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the club’s history. He was named “Player of the Month” in the Russian PBL League in November and December and was also selected to the All-Star 2nd team. 

There was a great transition between the NBA and overseas for Coach Williams, both mentally and physically. 

“The change from the NBA to Europe was pretty wild both on and off the court. Physically the games are different in terms of pace and style. You don’t see the same amount of flash as you do in the NBA. European teams play a bit slower and put an emphasis on fundamentals,” Coach Williams said.

“Mentally, the adjustment was more about lifestyle. It was a huge cultural shock: different food, different languages, and the overall vibe was different. But it was a great change embracing new experiences and learning a new style of basketball.”

For the next eight years, Coach Williams went back and forth from playing basketball on teams in Russia and Asia. He would officially end his time playing professional basketball after his 1 year contract for the Stockton Kings in the NBA G-League. 

“I started thinking about [life beyond basketball] pretty early on,” Coach Williams said. “I felt like it was a smart idea to have somewhat of a plan in store. I was set on giving back to the game as well as school. I felt like based on my own experiences I can be a beam of support for the youth.” 

After years of being removed from the sport as an athlete, Coach Williams now puts emphasis on the balance of being a student and an athlete. The strength to excel in both is found in one’s “ability to to maintain focus and energy,” he says.

He’s found a new life now hired as Bosco High School’s Dean of Students and assistant varsity basketball coach. 

Fellow assistant coach and English instructor, Mr. Vince Vigil, believes that Coach Williams will bring a great contribution to the school. 

“I believe with his world experience and stout professionalism, he will be able to bring a new sense of discipline amongst students and reinstate what the Bosco brotherhood means. Having a role model like Coach Williams goes beyond just the basketball court,” Mr. Vigil said. 

Junior Dominic Perfetti, a member of the varsity squad, believes that Coach Williams will have an impact both on campus and on the court. 

“Having the opportunity to be under a mentor like that is huge. I feel like he can be more personable with students than deans we’ve had in the past. On the court though, coming off a state title, having him as a coach really proves to us there are no limitations on our team’s expectations,” Dominic said. 

Coach Williams looks to make an immediate impact on all of Bosco. He calls it a “full circle” type of opportunity, finding himself just a dribble away from Los Angeles where his love of basketball first began.