NIC's Athletic Director to Speak at October's Upbeat Breakfast

Al Williams was appointed athletics director at NIC in July of 2003. He brings more than 20 years of management-level experience in financial administration and has more than 13 years experience in coaching and athletics administration.

Prior to NIC, Williams served as the men's assistant basketball coach at the University of Denver and his responsibilities included recruiting, scheduling, sports camps, and monitoring student-athletes' academic success. While at the University of Denver, he also held the position of assistant director of athletics development from 2001-2002. In that role, he managed all fundraising activities for the athletics department, developed community development programs for minority groups, managed booster groups, and coordinated special events.

Williams earned an associate's degree in business from NIC in 1979 while playing basketball for NIC's nationally-ranked team that finished the year 26-6. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Idaho, where he played basketball as well, and a master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. Williams served as basketball coach at Lincoln Park High School in Chicago for four years and honed his skills in executive-level management positions in healthcare, internal audit, international mining, and nonprofit corporate sectors before entering the higher education arena.

During Williams’ tenure the Cardinals have experienced exceptional success on a national and regional level. Four of the Cardinals five women’s programs have earned their program’s first ever NJCAA national tournament appearances with outstanding results. Softball (2^nd place national finish-2007), soccer (3^rd place- 2008) and Volleyball (4^th Place 2006) have all earned top 4 finishes during this period. Women’s basketball finished 9^th nationally in 2009, and the recently created Women’s golf team will make their first NJCAA tournament appearance in 2009.

The men’s programs have also experienced similar success. Wrestling has added three national runner-up finishes to their 13 national titles during the last six years, including their 2^nd place finish in 2009. Men’s soccer has earned 4 consecutive Region 18 championships while earning national recognition in the NJCAA polls. Men’s basketball boasts SWAC regular season championships in 2006 and 2009, finishing 13^th in the final 2009 NJCAA Poll. In addition the three year old men’s golf program will be making their first team national appearance in 2009.

The North Idaho College Cardinals athletic motto: Building on a Tradition of Excellence!