Doss head coach Tony Williams instructs his team against PRP during their 6th Region semifinal game at Valley High School. Mar. 3, 2017
Tony Williams, who led the Doss High School boys basketball team to back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16, announced after Tuesday’s Sixth Region Tournament final that he would not return as the Dragons’ head coach next season.
Williams posted a 79-24 record over three seasons, losing in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Sweet 16 and the final of last year’s state tournament. The Dragons finished 22-11 this season after falling to Fern Creek 49-45 on Tuesday.
“Three years I’ve given back to the school where I played,” said Williams, a 1996 Doss graduate who went on to play basketball at the University of Louisville. “I’ve given back to the kids, and now it’s time for me to do something for my family and do something that’s going to be lucrative.”
Williams said he has no plans to return to coaching on the high school level or follow his nephew, Doss senior Jaylon Hall, to Ohio. Hall has committed to play basketball at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.
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“Lucrative is the key,” Williams said when asked if he’d like to coach on the college level. “It’s hard work and a lot of time away from my family. Look at my little boy. He’s upset (about Tuesday’s loss), but what he doesn’t realize is now I get to spend time with him. That’s the beautiful thing right now.”
Doss athletic director Danny McCreedy said Williams informed the team of his plans two weeks ago. McCreedy said the school will begin accepting applications for Williams’ replacement later this week.
“The boys deserve a coach who his good and knowledgeable and will teach them the game of basketball and know how to compete,” McCreedy said. “There’s enough talent walking the halls at Doss that this should be a great job for any coach.”
McCreedy said Williams did “a great job” at Doss.
“Something you look for is a leader for boys and setting an example for them, and he did OK with that,” McCreedy said. “He got better each year as a coach. He still has a lot of upside to him in coaching if he continues to stay with it. … He’s obviously been around basketball and knows enough about basketball that he’s capable of coaching on the college level as well.”
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.