Montgomery Williams, more commonly known as Monty Williams, is an American professional basketball head coach for the Detroit Pistons of the NBA. Williams was also a professional basketball player in the NBA for nine years, spanning from 1994 to 2003. Playing for the University of Notre Dame, Williams was one of the team’s finest players.
Averaging 22.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in his senior season, Williams was poised to be a great NBA player. His draft stock was so high that in spite of having a pre-existing heart condition that kept him from playing two full seasons at Notre Dame, Williams was still a first-round draft pick in the 1994 NBA draft. He was picked as the 24th pick by the New York Knicks.
As a 6’8 forward, Williams was one of the more versatile players in the NBA. He played with the Knicks until 1996 after which he was traded to the San Antonio Spurs. He played for three seasons there as a role player before signing with the Denver Nuggets in 1999. However, he was waived after just one month with the team. After this, he was claimed by the Orlando Magic who cleared his waivers. He stayed with the Magic till 2002.
In the 2002 offseason, he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2003. Immediately, however, he was re-acquired by the Magic and then waived by them in 3 days. Williams effectively ended his NBA career after that. He was a solid player for the time he played, averaging 6.4 points for his entire career. After this, Williams shifted his career focus toward coaching in the NBA.
What teams has Monty Williams coached?
In the 2005 NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs coaching staff hired Williams as a coaching intern. Williams then proceeded to win an NBA championship with the team. In 2007, Williams was hired as an assistant coach to Nate McMillan by the Portland Trail Blazers. After spending 3 seasons with the team, Williams was offered his first head coaching job.
In June 2010, Williams was offered a 3-year contract to become the head coach of the New Orleans Hornets. He was the youngest head coach in the NBA at the time. Williams made an immediate impact with the team as the team finished 46-36 in his first season there and also made the playoffs. Williams also formed a strong bond with the Hornets’ star point guard, Chris Paul, during his time there.
In August 2012, he agreed to a 4-years contract extension with the team. However, after 3 seasons into the extension, Williams was let go by the team. During his tenure as the head coach of the Hornets/Pelicans, Williams was also an assistant coach along with Tom Thibodeau and Jim Boheim for the US National team that represented the country in the 2016 Olympics.
In the 106 offseason, he was hired by the Oklahoma City Thunder as an assistant coach. Tragedy, however, struck the team as Monty Williams’s wife died in a horrifying car crash. Williams took a one-year hiatus from basketball before returning to the league as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. In May 2019, Williams was offered his second head coaching job of his career, this time with the Phoenix Suns.
The Suns had a 26-36 record prior to the COVID interruption and were invited to the NBA bubble in Orlando. Something struck for the Suns there as they shocked everyone with an 8-0 record in the seeding games. In the 2020 offseason, the Suns managed to land Chris Paul and the wonder pair of Chris Paul and Monty Williams worked magic.
In their first season together, the Suns went on a magical run, finishing second in the West and then leading the team all the way to the Finals in an improbable run. The Suns would, however, succumb to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals, losing in six games. The next season, the Suns were on a mission to get back to the promised land and won 64 games in the regular season, a franchise record. Monty Williams was also named the NBA’s coach of the year. The season would end in a gut-wrenching fashion as they would lose to the Mavericks in seven games in the second round of the playoffs.
Some internal turmoil started surfacing within the team as Williams and the star center DeAndre Ayton would be at each other’s throats from time to time. After the 2022-23 NBA season that ended again in disappointment for the team, the Suns let go of Monty Williams. Williams has now signed as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons.
FAQs
A. Monty Williams was the head coach for the New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns. He is now currently the head coach for the Detroit Pistons.
A. Monty Williams played for the University of Notre Dame.
A. Monty Williams is currently 51 years old.
A. Monty Williams played in the NBA for 9 seasons, between 1994 and 2003.
A. Monty Williams is 6 feet and 8 inches tall.
