NBA champion and Mississippi native Mo Williams is vacating his head coaching role at Jackson State for a new opportunity in the SEC.
The Murrah High School alumnus and former All-Star Cleveland Cavaliers point guard is set to become an assistant at Kentucky under the guidance of frontman Mark Pope.
Williams’ addition to the Wildcats’ staff comes amid a shakeup by Pope following a 2025-26 campaign that fell short of meeting the expectations of Kentucky faithful. His hiring also follows a March 27 commitment by his son, Mason Williams, to Kentucky. Mason is a four-star guard and a top 150 player at the high school ranks. He previously played at Jackson Academy and Germantown High School before transferring to Tennessee Collegiate Academy for his senior season.
Williams amassed a 56-74 record in four seasons at Jackson State, with a bulk of the losses occurring against power four opponents in nonconference play. He boasted a 47-25 record versus SWAC foes and coached two conference players of the year, Ken Evans (2024) and Daeshun Ruffin (2026).
“I want to thank Ashley Robinson for giving me the opportunity to come back home and lead the Jackson State men’s basketball program. To be able to come back to Jackson and lead the hometown team is something I did not take lightly, and I want to thank AD Robinson and the university for believing in me,” Williams said.
“My family and I will always call Jackson home, and I want to thank the fans and alumni for the love and support they showed us over the last four years, and for showing why we love Jackson. To everyone associated with the program over the last four years, know that the work you put in did not go unnoticed, and thank you for the buy-in and the hard work over my tenure. I wish nothing but the best to Jackson State as they move forward.”
The Mississippian played college ball at Alabama, where he was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2002. He was an NBA All-Star alongside the legendary LeBron James in Cleveland and won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. Williams was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2025.
His anticipated role at Kentucky has not been announced, but he is expected to be integral in recruiting.