Gardner-Webb University Women's Basketball

Gardner-Webb University Vice President and Director of Athletics Andrew T. Goodrich has announced Terri Williams, a 30-year veteran with 17 years of experience as a Division I head coach, as the new head coach of the Runnin' Bulldogs women's basketball program. Williams joins Gardner-Webb from Penn State where she most recently served as the Nittany Lions' associate head coach during the 2024-25 campaign after being promoted to the role following two seasons as an assistant. "We had an incredible candidate pool, but among all of those candidates, one person rose above the rest," Goodrich affirmed. "Terri Williams has not only proven that she is an incredibly intelligent and successful coach on the court by guiding six different teams into the NCAA Tournament and into the Sweet 16, but also she truly believes in the mission at Gardner-Webb University and we are supremely confident that our women's basketball student-athletes will grow mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally throughout their playing careers—and the rest of their lives—under Williams' guidance, mentorship, and tutelage." Before her time at Penn State, Williams spent eight seasons as the head coach at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and nine seasons at Auburn University in Alabama. She also served as an assistant at Georgetown, Georgia, and Southwest Missouri State. In total, Williams has amassed 283 career wins, helped lead six different teams to a berth in the NCAA Tournament, and guided a program to the Sweet 16. Noting Williams' winning record and skills, Gardner-Webb Interim President Nate Evans asserted, "We are excited to welcome Coach Williams to the Gardner-Webb family. With more than two decades of Division I coaching experience, she brings a depth of knowledge, leadership, and a competitive edge that aligns with our values. Her proven ability to develop student-athletes makes her an ideal fit. We are confident that she will build on our tradition of excellence and take Runnin' Bulldogs basketball to new heights." Williams led successful turnarounds at both Georgetown and Auburn, tallying 143 wins at Georgetown and 140 wins at Auburn. She became the head coach at Georgetown in 2004-05 and by the end of her tenure in 2011-12, had guided the Hoyas to three NCAA Tournament appearances in a row, the top-15 of the national polls in each of her final three seasons, and the program's first ever Sweet 16 during the 2010-11 season. In addition, Williams also guided Georgetown to the Women's NIT quarterfinals in 2009. After the most successful era in Georgetown women's basketball history, Williams made the move to Auburn for the 2012-13 season, where she'd spend the next nine years leading the Tigers program. Under Williams, Auburn completed two 20-win seasons and made three NCAA Tournament appearances. In the 2018-19 season, the Tigers posted 22 wins, the most by an Auburn team in a decade. Before two stops as a head coach, Williams built a decade-long resume as an assistant. The former Penn State player started her coaching career at Georgetown in 1992 where she'd spend the next four seasons, before joining the staff at Georgia in 1996. While at Georgia, Williams helped guide the Bulldogs to the Final Four in 1998-99, and the Elite Eight with a school record 32 wins in 1999-00. Upon leaving Georgia, Williams joined Southwest Missouri State, once again leading a program to new heights. In 2003-04 and 2004-05, the Bears posted the then-most wins in school history over a two-year stretch, going 28-4 and 25-8 back-to-back and reaching the NCAA Tournament both times. Williams' teams have been known for defense over the course of her coaching career, with Auburn setting new school records for total steals and forced turnovers in her first season, while also posting the third-best mark in the country in both steals per game and turnovers forced per game. During her three years on the Penn State bench, Williams helped turn the Nittany Lions into one of the best defensive teams in the Big Ten Conference, helping to create one of the highest-pressure defenses in the country. In 2023-24, Penn State forced the third most turnovers and posted the third most blocked shots in the league. Defense translated for the Nittany Lions as well, with Penn State winning 22 games during the 2023-24 season, the most for the program since 2016-17. A native of Hampton, Va., Williams played four seasons at Penn State. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Nittany Lions, playing in 111 games between 1987-88 and 1991-92. Williams' basketball background goes beyond her playing career as well, with her brother Boo Williams known nationally as one of the most influential and successful youth sports coaches and as the National Chair for AAU Boys and Girls Basketball. Along with Williams, the Gardner-Webb family also welcomes her daughter Maya and son Eric. Maya, a graduate of Georgetown University, currently works as a pediatrician, while Eric is a student at Old Dominion University.

Wright joins the Gardner-Webb coaching staff for the 2025-26 season after spending the previous 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Wingate University in nearby Charlotte. Wright previously had a standout career at Georgetown University under new Gardner-Webb head coach, Terri Williams, followed by over a decade of coaching at the AAU, high school, and the college level. Wright is Georgetown's all-time and single season record holder in assists with 506 assists, helping the Hoyas reach the NCAA tournament on three occasions including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2011. Wright previously scored over 2500 points during her career at Latta High School in South Carolina, collecting a pair of State Player of the Year accolades. After earning her degree in sociology from Georgetown, Wright began her coaching career as the head coach of Team GBMS, an AAU team in Florence S.C. In addition, she became the assistant coach in her home town of Latta, SC at Latta High School in July of 2020, where she helped lead the team to a 20-win season. Wright moved to the college ranks in July of 2023, taking an assistant coach position at Trinity College in Darlington, S.C. where her duties included conducting practices and player development, along with assisting with the strength and conditioning programs and working with fundraising and sponsorship efforts. "I am extremely excited to have Ruby on my coaching staff" said Coach Williams. "She has played in my system for 4 years and will be able to teach and instruct our philosophy on both sides of the court. As a former point guard herself, Ruby will coach our guards to orchestrate the team’s offense as well as be great vocal leaders"

A former standout player for the Runnin' Bulldogs, Alaisa Smith returns to Gardner-Webb for the 2025-26 season as an assistant coach and the program's director of basketball operations. Smith played collegiate basketball for Gardner-Webb from 2020-2023, winning Big South Freshman of The Year in 2020-21, and First Team All-Big South honors as a sophomore in 2021-22, where she scored more than 14.5 points per game for the Runnin' Bulldogs.  Smith helped lead GWU on a memorable run to the NCAA Tournament in 2022-23, scoring over 13.5 points per game and playing over 30 minutes per game on a Gardner-Webb team that became the first in Big South history, men's or women's to complete a 21-0 conference record. Smith took home Big South Conference Defensive Player of The Year and First Team All-Conference honors as the Runnin' Bulldogs finished 29-5 overall. Following her junior campaign, Smith then transferred to the University of Memphis under former Gardner-Webb head coach, Alex Simmons. In two seasons at Memphis, Smith broke several school records, including the mark for career rebounds with 553. Originally from Johnson City, Tenn., Smith and earned her B.S. in Education and Sports Coaching from Memphis in December of 2024. I can honestly say, I am not the only one so happy to have Alasia back at Gardner-Webb" said Coach Williams. "She brings winning tradition and success to the GWU basketball program and knows what it looks like and what it takes to compete in the Big South Conference. I am very grateful to have Alasia come with the Runnin’ Bulldogs"

Green enters her first season at Gardner-Webb as an assistant coach in 2025-26, following a four-year playing career and short student-assistant coaching stints at her alma mater, James Madison and Indiana University. While at JMU, Green earned a B.S. in Justice Studies while helping lead the Dukes to a pair of 25-win campaigns as a player before later joining JMU’s staff as a student-assistant. The Dukes finished a 26-8 season and earned a share of the Sun Belt regular season title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament during Green's time as a member of the coaching staff. Green then moved to Bloomington, recently completing her Master of Public Affairs at Indiana University while working as a Graduate Assistant for the IU women's basketball program. "Madison brings a winning mentality and a desire to be excellent to our program" said Coach Williams. "She will be one of the young up and coming assistants in our profession and I am extremely excited to have Madison join our GWU family"