Carla Williams (athletic director) facts for kids
Wiliams in 2024
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Athletic director |
| Team | Virginia |
| Conference | ACC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | LaGrange, Georgia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1987–1989 | Georgia |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 2000–2003 | Vanderbilt (assistant AD) |
| 2003–2004 | Vanderbilt (associate AD) |
| 2004–2008 | Georgia (associate AD) |
| 2008–2011 | Georgia (senior associate AD) |
| 2011–2015 | Georgia (executive AD) |
| 2015–2017 | Georgia (deputy AD) |
| 2017–present | Virginia |
Carla Williams is a very important person in college sports! She is the athletic director for the Virginia Cavaliers sports teams. She made history as the first African American woman to hold this top job in the Power Five conferences. These are the biggest and most competitive college sports conferences in the United States.
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Early Life and Sports Beginnings
Carla Williams was born in LaGrange, Georgia. Even when she was in middle school, she loved sports. She played football as a quarterback and running back! She also played basketball and softball.
When she went to LaGrange High School, Carla was a talented basketball player. She played point guard for a special team called the Georgia Metros. Her coaches would drive her two hours to practice and two hours back home. Carla helped her high school team win two state championships. She was even named the most valuable player in a big all-star game in 1985.
During her last year of high school, a famous coach named Andy Landers noticed Carla. He wanted her to play for the women's basketball team at the University of Georgia (UGA).
College Basketball Star
After high school, Carla received a sports scholarship to UGA. By her second year, she was a starting player on the team. She was so good that she was chosen for the United States Olympic Festival team.
Carla once asked her coach, Andy Landers, why he picked her over other players who were ranked higher. He told her she had "all the intangibles" they needed. This meant she had the right attitude, teamwork, and spirit.
In 1987, she was again chosen for the United States Olympic Festival. When she finished college in 1989, Carla had scored 1,115 points in her career. She was one of the top scorers in UGA women's basketball history. She earned a degree in sociology.
Building a Career in Sports
After college, Carla played professional basketball in Spain for a short time. But then, she decided to go back to UGA to get her Master's degree.
After getting her Master's, Carla became an assistant coach for the Lady Bulldogs team. She worked with her former coach, Andy Landers. As a coach, she helped the team reach the Final Four in 1995 and 1996. They even played in the national championship game in 1996!
After five years of coaching, Carla moved to Florida State University (FSU). Her husband got a job there. She took a lower-level job in the student services office, showing her dedication to learning all parts of sports administration.
While at FSU, Carla continued her education and earned her doctorate in sports administration. She also volunteered to help the Director of Athletics, Dave Hart, with different tasks.
Later, Carla got a job at Vanderbilt University. She became an associate athletics director. This meant she helped manage several sports teams, including women's basketball and tennis. In 2004, she returned to the University of Georgia. There, she worked her way up to become the deputy athletics director.
Leading the Way in College Sports
As an athletics director at the University of Georgia, Carla was involved in many important groups. She helped make decisions for college sports across the country. She was even named one of the top-10 Senior Woman Administrators in the NCAA. She also received an award from the Girl Scouts for being an "Athens Woman of Distinction."
After working at Georgia for 13 years, Carla made history again. In 2017, she became the first African-American woman to lead an entire athletic department at a Power 5 school. These schools are part of the biggest college sports conferences: ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-12.
She joined the University of Virginia as their athletic director. One of her first big projects was "The Master Plan." This plan aimed to improve sports facilities for the football team and other Olympic sports at UVA. For all her amazing work, Carla received the Bill Hartman Award from UGA. This award honors people who have shown great excellence in their careers.
Personal Life
Carla Williams is married to Brian Williams. They have three children together.
