Razorback legend coaching in NBA Finals
When the San Antonio Spurs take the floor against the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night, it won’t be the first time Corliss Williamson has experienced a championship game atmosphere.
Williamson, a Russellville native nicknamed whose name needs no introduction, serves as an assistant coach for the Spurs, a title he’s had since Aug. 2025. He was announced alongside Sean Sweeney, who is set to become the Orlando Magic’s head coach after this season.
Colloquially known as “Big Nasty,” Williamson played in 822 games in the NBA with 293 starts. He averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Corliss Williamson at Arkansas and in the NBA
Williamson played for the Razorbacks from 1992-95, won the National Championship in 1994 and played in the title game as a senior in 1995.
While at Arkansas, he was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 1993 and was First Team All-SEC in 1993, ’94 and ’95. His final two seasons he was named SEC Player of the Year.
After his college career ended, he was a first-round pick and went to the Sacramento Kings — the same team some mock drafts have Darius Acuff Jr. going to in this year’s NBA Draft — where he bookended his NBA career.
He spent five seasons there, then bounced between the Toronto Raptors, Detroit Pistons (where he won a championship in 2004) and Philadelphia 76ers before he went back to Sacramento from 2005-2007, his final two years in the Association.
His head coach his final years in Sacramento was former Arkansas head coach Eric Musselman.
Corliss Williamson goes from player to coach
Once his playing days were over, Williamson became an assistant at Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock and was the head coach his final year there. He stayed in state and in 2010 he took the reins of the Central Arkansas program.
2013 is when his NBA coaching career started. He stayed with the Kings as an assistant coach under now-North Carolina head coach Michael Malone.
He spent three years there before he was hired by Frank Vogel — who coached him with the 76ers — as an assistant with the Orlando Magic. But after Vogel was fired two years later, Williamson was as well.
Williamson found his way to Phoenix thanks to a connection similar to his with Vogel. Igor Kokoskov coached him in Detroit and hired him with the Suns. That was short-lived, just one season later Williamson and Kokoskov were out of jobs.
At the end of the 2019 season, Williamson returned to the Natural State and coached the Little Rock Christian Warriors, where his son, Creed, was playing.
“My main goal after I came back from Phoenix was to get both of my boys through high school, and then figure out what’s next,” Williamson told Best of Arkansas Sports in Oct. 2022. “It’s hard to not go back, and over the last few years I’ve had plenty of opportunities to take jobs and go back, but I’m staying committed to finishing this process with my sons.”
What’s next turned out to be a two-year stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he was before he joined the Spurs staff ahead of this season.
The NBA Finals begin between the Spurs and Knicks on Wednesday night. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT and the game will air on ABC.
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