BOYS PREP BASKETBALL: PCHS assistant Returning Home to Sparta
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Rich Williams is returning home to Sparta Community High School-again-and couldn't be happier.
The veteran Pinckneyville assistant was hired Monday night on a 7-0 vote by the District #140 Board of Education as the Bulldogs new varsity boys basketball coach. He'll replace Greg Bass, who stepped down after two years following an 8-22 campaign this past winter.
Williams, 47, brings of wealth of experience back to his alma mater and hometown. He'll continue teaching physical education at nearby Sparta (Lincoln) Middle School. Williams also returns to the football sidelines to assist new Bulldogs coach Phil Watson.
Williams spent three seasons earlier this decade as Sparta's varsity grid coach, compiling a 7-20 mark while also helping Ed Belva with the basketball program.
"Pinckneyville's been very good to me and my family," Williams said. "And its hard to leave my coaching duties there. But having the chance to return home again is just a great opportunity. The chance to coach in my hometown-and in the gym where I grew up and played-its just something I couldn't let pass by."
Sparta returns at least two full-time starters and several key reserves for the 2009-2010 hoops season . Some talented underclassmen could also move up.
In two stints at Pinckneyville, Williams worked under Hall-of-Fame coach Dick Corn. The past two seasons were spent as Bob Waggoner's top varsity assistant. In football, Williams coached the defense for Tod Rushing and helped at the lower levels.
A Sparta native who's had head varsity coaching stints at Coulterville and Elverado in basketball, Williams also assisted at Anna-Jonesboro, Hardin County and Trico.
In football, he's coached Elverado for three years (2-25) and guided varsity basketball (21-77) during a four-year span from 1993-1997.
Spending seven years as Elverado's Athletic Director, Williams also coached varsity baseball at Elverado and Coulterville.
In hoops, Williams assisted Hall-of-Famers Corn, Mike Crews, Charlie Strasburger and Belva.
"I've been blessed to work for some great coaches," Williams said. "And I've worked with some great assistant coaches like Tom Hawkins, too. Hopefully what I've learned can help us turn this thing around at Sparta. The potential is certainly there, but its going to take a lot of hard work."
Williams-noted statewide as an excellent scout and game-preparer in both football and basketball-knows winning is never a given during River-to-River Conference play. In any sport.
"I really think its the best small school conference in Illinois when you throw in both the Ohio and Mississippi Division sides. Every game, no matter the sport, is going to be a battle. We've been pretty competitive in the past and can do it again," Williams said.
With Williams and Robert Bell (Chester) will be two of three new basketball coaches in the SIRR's Mississippi Division. Anna-Jonesboro let Brian Matzenbacher go following the season and is still searching for a replacement.
Du Quoin's Crews, Waggoner and future Hall-of-Famer Darin Lee (Nashville) return as the other Mississippi basketball mentors next season.
"That's a pretty salty list," Williams said. "Our division has just great, great coaches and staffs in basketball and football."
The current President of the Southern Illinois Coaches Association (SICA), Williams is a 24-year educator and coach.