Kentucky hiring Jackson State's Mo Williams as assistant coach after son commits to Wildcats

The former NBA star announced his resignation as Jackson State head coach on Monday

Kentucky is hiring Jackson State coach Mo Williams as an assistant under Mark Pope's staff, the school announced in a release on Monday. Williams posted on social media that he is stepping down from his job at Jackson State after spending the last four seasons with the program.

"I want to thank Ashley Robinson for giving me the opportunity to come back home and lead the Jackson State men's basketball program," Williams said in a statement. "To be able to come back to Jackson and lead the hometown team is something I did not take lightly. .. I wish nothing but the best to Jackson State as they move forward."

The former NBA star, who played 13 seasons in the league, has been a head coach for six seasons at Alabama State and Jackson State. Williams went 69-109 the last six years as a head coach, including a 12-21 record during the 2025-26 campaign. Williams's joining Pope's staff comes just days after his son, Mason Williams, committed to Kentucky.

The younger Williams is the No. 109-ranked player in the 2026 recruiting cycle by 247Sports. Williams, a four-star prospect, marked Kentucky's first high school commitment in this year's recruiting cycle. Williams had offers from Ole Miss, Jackson State, Texas Tech and Washington, among others. He previously committed to Jackson State to play for his father before reopening up his recruitment. 

The hiring of the elder Williams also comes days after Kentucky assistant coach Jason Hart departed to join Andy Enfield's staff at SMU. The timing of Hart's departure comes amid Kentucky being in the mix to land Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 recruiting class. 

Hart was listed as the lead recruiter to land Stokes, who has no timeline on when he will make his college decision. The schools in the mix to land Stokes are Kansas, Oregon, and, of course, Kentucky.