Managing the Crimson Tide

Alabama Head Coach Anthony Grant

Alabama Manager Dan Williams:

 I went about getting my managerial position with the Crimson Tide because my aunt played for the women's team and still knew a few people in the athletic department that put in a good word for me. I sent in my resume and emailed the Director of Basketball Operations. He narrowed the candidates down to a handful and we then had an interview session with him and the video coordinator. The DBO then narrowed the list down to five managers who would work summer camp as a trial period. In August of 2009, they hired us.

Here at Alabama we have five managers. I have one responsibility that no one else does in the office and that is work along side one of our assistants, scouting the games that we play next. With that I help out with keeping stats during practice and games, doing player laundry, hanging out with recruits and official visits.

I  have become a successful manager by my love towards the game of basketball and knowing that this is the only route I have to become a college coach. That is my ultimate dream, so I pay attention and learn from our coaches on how to be successful.

Our graduate manager, Willie Watson, told me at the end of the season when he was leaving the best advice I could have. It was "to be successful in this business, you can't worry about other people's work ethic. You have to stay focus on your dream and your work ethic. Stay humble and don't burn bridges because you never know who you might need for a job".

My most favorable game as a manager has to be the semi-final against Colorado in the NIT this past year. The whole experience from getting to see New York for the first time, to being on Madison Square Garden's court, to seeing the New York Knicks locker-room. It was the best experience from that, but then we won on a layup with 4 seconds left on the clock to send us to the finals made it even more memorable.

Upon graduating from Alabama I want to be in the profession of coaching, so I can take the obvious stuff of the style of play, how to discipline players, conditioning techniques, etc. I want to take the small stuff that I notice as well though, and it's stuff that is in every work field. Those are to the highest person to the lowest person on the totempole, and lastly it is understanding other people's personality and talents so that you can put them into the best position for them to be successful. It's about learning from someone and passing it along to the next.