Staff Directory

Jaida Williams

Title:
Assistant Coach

Jaida Williams enters her second season as an assistant coach with the Lady Raiders in 2026-27.

The Lady Raiders broke streaks and records in 2025-26, posting a 26-8 overall record and 12-6 Big 12 record. After being picked 13th in the Big 12 preseason poll and finishing tied for fourth in the conference, Texas Tech recorded its highest conference finish since the 2012-13 season, its most overall wins since the 2002-03 season and its most Big 12 wins since the 2004-05 season. Williams helped the Lady Raiders to their best start in program history at 19-0 and to a national ranking for the first time since January 2012, spending 12-consecutive weeks in the AP top-25. With the 19-0 start to the year, Texas Tech tied its longest win streak in a single season in program history with 19 straight wins (Jan. 27, 1992 – April 4, 1993), the same year Tech won the national championship.

Tallying three top-15 wins in 2025-26, Williams aided the Lady Raiders to their first sweep of Baylor in a single season since 2003-04. The team's first win against the Bears on Dec. 21, 2025 snapped a 31-game Baylor winning streak dating back to 2011 and was also Tech's first win at Baylor since Feb. 8, 2004. Tech added another win over Baylor on Feb. 18 in Lubbock, 87-56. The 31-point win margin was the best against a ranked opponent since at least 2000 and the second largest win over Baylor in the last 30 years. Beginning conference play with a 6-0 start, the best start to conference since 2000-01, the Scarlet and Black posted its first win in Morgantown, W.Va., since Jan. 14, 2015 and only the third time in program history winning in Mountaineer territory. The Lady Raiders also earned their first win in program history over Cincinnati, a team Tech was previously 0-3 all-time against. With their wins at West Virginia and at Cincinnati, the Lady Raiders posted back-to-back road conference wins for the first time since 2004-05. The Lady Raiders also began Big 12 play with a 6-0 record, the best start to conference since 2000-01. Texas Tech earned its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013 and got a win in the tournament for the first time since 2005 after defeating Villanova in the Round of 64. Williams coached multiple All-Big 12 selections in the Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year and All-Big 12 Second Team selection, Snudda Collins, All-Big 12 First Team selection, Bailey Maupin, and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection in Jalynn Bristow.

Prior to Texas Tech, Williams served in the 2024-25 season as the head coach of the Texas A&M International University Dustdevils. While at the helm of Texas A&M International, the Dustdevils ranked third in the Lone Star Conference with 18.25 turnovers forced per game and fourth in conference with 9.3 steals per game. Williams coached an All-LSC Honorable Mention selection in Josie Igherighe, who led the team with 12.8 points per game and 129 field goals made.

Prior to coaching at Texas A&M International, Williams served as an assistant coach for the Ole Miss Rebels from 2022-24. While at Ole Miss, Williams coached the team to 49 total wins and 23 wins in the SEC. In 2023-24, she aided Ole Miss to the team's second-consecutive SEC Tournament semifinals and to the NCAA Tournament second round. In her first season with the Rebels, Ole Miss would reach the program's 11th Sweet 16 after defeating 1-seeded Stanford. In addition, Williams coached three All-SEC honorees and six SEC All-Academic Team selections.

Before heading to Ole Miss, Williams spent nine seasons as the head coach for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, boasting 129 career wins with the program. While at Coastal Carolina, the Chants put up five seasons with 15+ wins, including a program record 25-4 season in 2019-20. In that year, the Chanticleers went 15-3 in the Sun Belt conference to finish second in the regular season. Named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year after that, Williams coached the Sun Belt's leading scorer in DJ Williams, who averaged 19.4 points per game and was named the Sun Belt Player of the Year. In addition, Williams coached the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in Naheria Hamilton. The Chanticleers finished the season second in conference with 78.2 points per game and in scoring defense with 61.7 points per game allowed. Coastal Carolina also led the Sun Belt Conference in four team statistical categories and ranked second in nine other categories. In the 2018-19 season, Williams helped Coastal Carolina to its first postseason appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) after reaching the Sun Belt conference quarterfinals.

Before her stint with the Chanticleers, Williams served as an assistant coach for Wake Forest (2012-13), UC Santa Barbara (2008-11) and South Florida (2006-08). She was also the Director of Operations at Iowa for the 2005-06 season. At Wake Forest, Williams contributed to the Demon Deacons' top-20 recruiting class. She also helped UC Santa Barbara to a couple of Big West regular-season and tournament titles as well as an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and a WNIT appearance in 2011. While with South Florida, she coached the Bulls to two WNIT berths and aided USF to a top-16 recruiting class.

Williams was a student-athlete at Cal Poly Pomona from 2002-05, helping the team to a 23-7 record as a senior and a place in the NCAA Division II Tournament Regional Final. A native of Miami, Williams graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in journalism.