Season 4 Episode 8- Featuring Shanae Govan-Williams

Coahoma women’s basketball head coach Shanae Govan-Williams joined me on the show this week! A native of Crossett, Arkansas, Williams discussed what it was like growing up in a small town and the impact living in a single parent home had on her. A family woman through and through, Williams discussed her husband Andrew and son Nash, and how important being a wife and mother is to her. 

Although she was one of the best high school players, she attended a small school, and her recruitment was hard. She ended up attending Arkansas Tech University and then transferred to Delta State University in Mississippi. Through the process at Delta State, she surprisingly gained the opportunity to be a high school head coach at Lee Academy in Mississippi. Following a newfound passion, she quickly became a top coach in the state and gained interest from other schools back home. She returned to Crossett, Arkansas, becoming the Head Coach at her alma mater. 

Elevating the basketball program to heights it had never seen before, Williams also elevated the entire town. Community service is extremely important to Williams, and she started her own mentorship program in her hometown. Promoting her school and brand was an amazing opportunity, but as the success grew, more opportunities came. Magnolia High School came calling, one of the top basketball schools in Arkansas. Developing a true name for herself at Magnolia, knocking off legendary coaches and many successful postseason runs, Williams gained the opportunity to move to the highest classification of the state, 7A, and became the Bryant Head Coach in 2022. 

Williams said coaching Bryant was one of the biggest adjustments in her coaching career, but she enjoyed her time there. Her true goal of being a college coach then came to fruition. Coahoma Community College hired her to become their coach.  She had a very successful year one at Coahoma, finishing fourth in the conference, and off the court Williams published her first book, “Purpose in Adversity”. She is a true believer in God, a true believer in mental health, and one of the most compassionate people I have ever come across in my lifetime. I truly hope you laugh, get emotional, and enjoy every second of this episode, as much as I did! God bless!