MONACA — Marcess Williams, new assistant athletic director/recruiting coordinator, looks forward to motivating college students to reach their potential by leading them in the right direction.
Williams grew up in New Brighton, where he attended and graduated from New Brighton Area High School. He’s lived in Beaver County for most of his life and has previously worked at Penn State Beaver. He now has the chance to come back and give students guidance in his community.
After high school graduation, he attended and played basketball for La Roche College for all four years and obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 2002.
Shortly after graduating from La Roche College, Williams was depressed because it was the first time he wasn’t affiliated with a basketball team.
“I was always a hooper. I’ve always been about the ball since I was 4 years old, so it’s been my identity,” he said. “I never thought about coaching until my mentor suggested it.”
He received his first coaching job as a men’s basketball assistant coach at La Roche. He spent two years there and in his second year helped lead the team to its first conference championship in school history.
Williams’ mindset was about growth. He tried to look for ways to better himself and the people around him. He took a full-time position at Penn State Beaver where he played a pivotal role in the revival of the athletic department. He was the head men’s basketball coach for nine seasons and guided the men’s basketball team to six consecutive PSUAC (Penn State University Athletics Conference) Western Division titles and three PSUAC Championships. He received PSUAC Coach of the Year honors in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013 and was a Beaver County Hall of Fame Coach of the Year honoree three times from 2009-11.
He also served as an admissions counselor, residence life coordinator and a first-year student seminar instructor.
Williams then went to Clarion University in 2014 where he was the head men’s basketball coach. He was the 12th head men’s basketball coach and first Black head coach in Clarion history.
“I’m a God-fearing man. I feel like God puts me in good places because I try to do the right things,” Williams said. “I wasn’t ready to be the head coach, but I took the learning approach and once I figured it out, I ran with it.’’
Williams then decided to apply for the assistant athletic director position left vacant when Dr. Renee Brown-Antonelli was hired as the athletic director at Penn State New Kensington.
Though there were many applications for the position, Williams’ application rose above the other candidates, Andy Kirschner, director of athletics and head softball coach at Penn State Beaver, said.
“I have known Marcess for over 30 years,” Kirschner said. “He has always been an amazing individual with a million-dollar personality.”
“His commitment to student success was very evident throughout the process,” he said. “We expect him to continue to build relationships with the student-athletes, and with his background and experience, he will assist in making the student-athlete experience here at Penn State Beaver even better.”
Williams has had a successful coaching career over the years, but now he’s focused on helping others, mainly college students, in his new position. He has been around people and organizations helping others strive for greatness. From being around preachers, creating community centers, working with outreach programs in Beaver Falls, and working as a drug and alcohol counselor at one point, Williams said helping people is in his DNA.
Williams said his goal at Penn State Beaver is to help lead students in the right direction so they can strive and be the best they can be.
“(The students) already have the potential; they just need some direction. I love helping them find their way,” he said.
Brown-Antonelli’s departure
Brown-Antonelli, who joined the athletic staff at Penn State Beaver in February 2020, said she was sad to see her time at the Beaver campus come to an end.
“I am so grateful to Andy (Kirschner) for giving me the opportunity to learn and grow under his guidance and be a part of a successful athletic program. I will be sure to incorporate some of the amazing things that I have learned here at Penn State New Kensington,” she said.
Student athlete Lizbet Michala said, “Dr. Brown has helped me become a better student by reminding me of my end goals and inspiring me to get my master’s degree. She has also helped me become a better leader in the clubs that I am a part of. She helped me get adjusted and fully understood me when I first moved here to Penn State Beaver as another woman of color.”