WINTER HAVEN – A native of Polk County, Dominique Williams has already made his basketball mark in Haines City and Lakeland. He now hopes to do so at Polk State College.

The newest member of the Polk State Basketball coaching staff, Williams began his tenure this offseason. Williams arrived with nearly a decade of experience in player development.

"It was a great opportunity for me," Williams said. "I didn't grow up wanting to be a coach; I wanted to be a hooper. After my playing career came to an end, I wanted to stay around the game."

Williams will serve as an assistant coach under ninth-year Head Coach Brandon Giles. Williams will work alongside Giles and fellow Assistant Coach Michael Porrini. Both former local standouts, Giles and Williams knew one another but had never really spoken in depth until recently.

"I've been welcomed with open arms," Williams explained of his transition to Polk State. "We knew each other only from a basketball standpoint. We never really talked until I got into the coaching world."

A 2011 graduate of Haines City High School and the boys basketball program's all-time leading scorer, Williams was recognized as first-team All-Polk County three times. After spending one season at Charleston Southern University, an NCAA Division I program in South Carolina, Williams moved closer to home and signed with Division II powerhouse Florida Southern College in Lakeland.

"Dom is a young coach with a wealth of knowledge for the game," Giles exclaimed. "His experience as a player at both the Division I and Division II levels shows he knows the process and can relate to these young men in helping them get to where they want to go."

After appearing in just three games at Charleston Southern during the 2011-12 season, Williams spent the next four seasons at Florida Southern. Following Sunshine State Conference (SSC) titles in his first two years, Williams was named to the SSC-All-Tournament Team and helped the Moccasins win their second national championship during the 2014-15 season. Williams played in all 37 games, averaging 9.6 points while shooting better than 44% from deep as Florida Southern finished 36-1. As a redshirt senior during the 2015-16 season, Williams enjoyed a breakout year, averaging 19.5 points, four rebounds and nearly three assists to earn second-team All-SSC honors.

"I want to win here," Williams added. "Coming from a winning program, you want to bring that same fire, tenacity and blueprint."

Williams graduated from Florida Southern in 2016 with a bachelor's degree in criminology and a minor in sociology. A player development coach since 2017, Williams began his basketball training career with the organization, CoachUp. Since 2022, Williams has run his own training business, Bigger Than Me Basketball. He currently has more than 60 clients ranging from age 6 to the college level. Williams also spent parts of two seasons as an assistant coach at Santa Fe Catholic High School in Lakeland.

"Dom has worked with players at so many levels of basketball," Giles added. "As a Polk County native who played a major role on a national championship team at Florida Southern, he has really high value and will be an asset to our program."

A husband to Erica, Williams is a father of three. He has two sons named Kaiden, 7, and Amir, 4, who Williams delivered himself from the front seat of his car. The newest addition to his family is an 11-month-old daughter named Emery.

When not near a basketball court, Williams enjoys video games, bowling, gardening, fishing and going to the beach. He once went skydiving from 13,500 feet. As an assistant coach, Williams hopes to help Polk State players reach new heights.

"With a lot of young players on the roster, I feel like I connect well with the players," Williams concluded. "Their response has been great. I have really enjoyed it."