Jason Williford

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 4th Season Alma Mater: Virginia '95

Jason Williford is in his fifth year as an assistant men's basketball coach at the University of Virginia and his 13th year as a men's assistant basketball coach at the collegiate level.

A former Virginia player, Williford was an assistant coach at American University for four years before coming to UVa and prior to that was an assistant coach at Boston University for five years. American won the Patriot League Championship and participated in the NCAA Tournament each of his last two seasons with the program. During Williford's final four years at Boston University, the Terriers earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 2002 and then participated in the National Invitation Tournament for three consecutive years.

A native of Richmond, Va., Williford is a 1995 graduate of Virginia. During his four years as a member of the UVa men's basketball team, the Cavaliers won the NIT in 1992 and participated in the NCAA Tournament three times. Virginia reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 in 1993, the second round in 1994 and the Elite Eight in 1995 when he was a team captain.

After graduation, Williford played four years in the Icelandic Professional League and the Korean Basketball League. In 1995-96, he was named the Foreign MVP for the Haukar Club Team in the Icelandic Professional League. He also began his coaching career that season by heading up the Under-20 Haukar Club Team. From 1996-99, Williford played for two teams in the Korean Basketball League and earned All-Star honors.

Williford was an assistant coach with the boys' varsity basketball team at his alma mater, John Marshall High School, in 1999-2000.

"Jason comes highly recommended," Virginia men's head basketball coach Tony Bennett said when Williford joined his UVa staff. "In talking to Jeff Jones and Dennis Wolff, coaches Jason worked with at American University and Boston University, and other people about him, they talked first about his character and his ties to the area. We felt that was very important. When we went through the interview process, the passion and loyalty Jason has for the University of Virginia and this program was evident. He played at Virginia and this program is important to him."

Williford and his wife, Kwamina, have two sons, Austin and Cameron.