Baseball
Williams, Matt
Matt Williams
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Alma Mater:
- Valdosta State, 2012
- Email:
- williams_m02@mercer.edu
A 13-year coaching veteran with previous stops at three other collegiate institutions, Matt Williams begins his first season at Mercer in 2023-24 as an assistant coach for the Bears. He joined the MU coaching staff in August 2023.Â
No stranger to coaching success, Williams has been a part of 458 victories as a collegiate coach, including eight 30-win showings by his squads. He has mentored four all-Americans, 17 all-region standouts and 41 different all-conference players over his already-illustrious coaching career as well. Nine former players have been drafted by professional teams, or signed free agent contracts. Â
A native of the Peach State, Williams trekked to Middle Georgia after spending the previous two seasons holding the reins of a surging program at ABAC. He has also logged extensive experience on the coaching staffs at both Valdosta State and Young Harris as well.Â
Williams helped Mercer to 29 wins in 2024, his first season in Macon. With Williams on staff, the Bears boasted two first team all-conference selections in Ty Dalley and Colton Cosper and had relief pitcher Bryant Olson selected in the 13th round of the MLB Draft, marking the third year in a row in which at least one Bear has been drafted.
Williams assumed the head coaching duties at ABAC in June 2021 and quickly went to work, leading the Stallions to consecutive 30+-win seasons for the first time in more than three decades, including an 8-game turnaround in just his first season at the helm. ABAC ranked among the NJCAA’s top-25 teams in five statistical categories during the 2021 campaign, including top-20 listings in both stolen bases (13th) and triples (15th), while pacing the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association in five others.Â
In just two seasons in Tifton, Ga., ABAC boasted 10 All-GCAA selections, 17 student-athletes graced the GCAA’s All-Academic Team and the squad saw one of its standouts, first baseman Henry Daniels, grace the 2022 NJCAA DI Baseball ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove squad. Williams also watched more than 15 of his student-athletes move on to compete at 4-year institutions following their time at ABAC.Â
Prior to his making his head coaching debut at ABAC, Williams spent four seasons (2018-21) as an assistant at Young Harris and used his model of success to help the Mountain Lions take extensive strides. In addition to boasting a quartet of top-10 recruiting classes (PerfectGameUSA), including NCAA Division II’s second-ranked classes in both 2018 and 2020, Young Harris amassed 94 wins and a .567 winning percentage with Williams on staff, including a run to the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Tournament title and the program’s first-ever berth into the NCAA postseason. The Mountain Lions also established program superlatives for conference victories during the 2018, 2019 and 2021 campaigns as well.Â
The Loganville native got his start in coaching at Valdosta State where he quickly made his way up through the ranks from a volunteer assistant during the 2010-11 season to a full time role beginning with the 2015-16 campaign. Wiliams was on the coaching staff at his alma mater for seven years, and was a key cog in VSU’s run to the 2013 Gulf South Conference championship, as well as NCAA Regional appearances that culminated the 2013, 2015 and 2017 seasons. Fifteen Blazers were decorated with all-conference laurels across that span, while seven were either selected in the Major League Baseball Draft or inked free agent contracts with professional clubs.Â
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Williams has, twice, been on staff with the Valley League’s (Va.) Waynesboro Generals, first as an assistant coach for both the 2014 and 2015 campaigns, and then as a head coach for the collegiate summer team for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He oversaw the completion of more than 1,500 community service hours by the club as an assistant coach, and earned Valley League Manager of the Year accolades in 2016 after leading the Generals to a 30-12 clip and their first of two-straight appearances in the South Division championship game.Â
Williams played one season (2009) at Valdosta State and helped pace the Blazers to a 43-21 record and an NCAA postseason appearance, before transferring to Texas College where he was a part of a 2010 Steers squad that made the program’s first appearance in the conference tournament in nearly a decade. Â
Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in business education from Valdosta State in 2012, and completed his graduate work in business education at VSU in 2015. He married the former Abbie Touchton in 2013.Â
No stranger to coaching success, Williams has been a part of 458 victories as a collegiate coach, including eight 30-win showings by his squads. He has mentored four all-Americans, 17 all-region standouts and 41 different all-conference players over his already-illustrious coaching career as well. Nine former players have been drafted by professional teams, or signed free agent contracts. Â
A native of the Peach State, Williams trekked to Middle Georgia after spending the previous two seasons holding the reins of a surging program at ABAC. He has also logged extensive experience on the coaching staffs at both Valdosta State and Young Harris as well.Â
Williams helped Mercer to 29 wins in 2024, his first season in Macon. With Williams on staff, the Bears boasted two first team all-conference selections in Ty Dalley and Colton Cosper and had relief pitcher Bryant Olson selected in the 13th round of the MLB Draft, marking the third year in a row in which at least one Bear has been drafted.
Williams assumed the head coaching duties at ABAC in June 2021 and quickly went to work, leading the Stallions to consecutive 30+-win seasons for the first time in more than three decades, including an 8-game turnaround in just his first season at the helm. ABAC ranked among the NJCAA’s top-25 teams in five statistical categories during the 2021 campaign, including top-20 listings in both stolen bases (13th) and triples (15th), while pacing the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association in five others.Â
In just two seasons in Tifton, Ga., ABAC boasted 10 All-GCAA selections, 17 student-athletes graced the GCAA’s All-Academic Team and the squad saw one of its standouts, first baseman Henry Daniels, grace the 2022 NJCAA DI Baseball ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove squad. Williams also watched more than 15 of his student-athletes move on to compete at 4-year institutions following their time at ABAC.Â
Prior to his making his head coaching debut at ABAC, Williams spent four seasons (2018-21) as an assistant at Young Harris and used his model of success to help the Mountain Lions take extensive strides. In addition to boasting a quartet of top-10 recruiting classes (PerfectGameUSA), including NCAA Division II’s second-ranked classes in both 2018 and 2020, Young Harris amassed 94 wins and a .567 winning percentage with Williams on staff, including a run to the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Tournament title and the program’s first-ever berth into the NCAA postseason. The Mountain Lions also established program superlatives for conference victories during the 2018, 2019 and 2021 campaigns as well.Â
The Loganville native got his start in coaching at Valdosta State where he quickly made his way up through the ranks from a volunteer assistant during the 2010-11 season to a full time role beginning with the 2015-16 campaign. Wiliams was on the coaching staff at his alma mater for seven years, and was a key cog in VSU’s run to the 2013 Gulf South Conference championship, as well as NCAA Regional appearances that culminated the 2013, 2015 and 2017 seasons. Fifteen Blazers were decorated with all-conference laurels across that span, while seven were either selected in the Major League Baseball Draft or inked free agent contracts with professional clubs.Â
In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Williams has, twice, been on staff with the Valley League’s (Va.) Waynesboro Generals, first as an assistant coach for both the 2014 and 2015 campaigns, and then as a head coach for the collegiate summer team for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. He oversaw the completion of more than 1,500 community service hours by the club as an assistant coach, and earned Valley League Manager of the Year accolades in 2016 after leading the Generals to a 30-12 clip and their first of two-straight appearances in the South Division championship game.Â
Williams played one season (2009) at Valdosta State and helped pace the Blazers to a 43-21 record and an NCAA postseason appearance, before transferring to Texas College where he was a part of a 2010 Steers squad that made the program’s first appearance in the conference tournament in nearly a decade. Â
Williams earned his bachelor’s degree in business education from Valdosta State in 2012, and completed his graduate work in business education at VSU in 2015. He married the former Abbie Touchton in 2013.Â
| THE WILLIAMS FILE | |
| Coaching Experience | |
| 2010-14 | Valdosta State (Graduate Assistant Coach/Volunteer Assistant Coach) |
| 2014-15 | Waynesboro Generals, Valley League (Assistant Coach) |
| 2015-17 | Valdosta State (Assistant Coach) |
| 2016-17 | Waynesboro Generals, Valley League (Head Coach) |
| 2017-21 | Young Harris (Assistant Coach) |
| 2022-23 | Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (Head Coach) |
| 2023-Present | Mercer (Assistant Coach) |
| Playing Experience | |
| Played one season at Valdosta State (2009). Played one season at Texas College (2010). | |
| Education | |
| Bachelor's degree in business education (Valdosta State, 2012). Master's degree in business education (Valdosta State, 2015). | |
Updated: December 2024
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