DODGE CITY, Kan. -&nbsp;

After completing a nationwide search Dodge City Community College is pleased to announce the hiring of Jake Williams as the next head coach of the Conquistador men's basketball program. Williams comes to Dodge City with a combination of high level winning and excellent connections in the basketball world.Williams has been the head men's basketball coach at fellow NJCAA Division I program University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie for the past three years.&nbsp; In the season that was just cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indians posted a 27-4 record and were the NJCAA Division I Region X Champions. They qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament in Hutchinson for only the second time in school history, earning a first round bye with a #7 seed in this years tournament. After the successful season, Williams was named the Region X Coach of the Year for his efforts in leading the Indians. Williams was the first coach in school history to put together back to back 20 win seasons and he topped that by setting a school record for wins in his third season."First of all I want to thank Athletic Director Ripple and President Nolte for giving me this amazing opportunity. Dodge City Community College has all of the resources that I believe you need to be successful, and playing in the Jayhawk Conference is such a challenge. I love a challenge and every game in that Jayhawk&nbsp;is just that, a challenge. To compare it to the Division I world, I feel like I am going from the MEAC to the Big XII," said Williams. "I am excited to get to Dodge City and get my face and our program out in the community. We want to build something special there and be an exciting part of the community. My coaching staff and I are very anxious to hit the ground running. We truly believe with some hard work, we can build something special there in year one. That is our expectation, excellence from the beginning."Prior to becoming the head coach at USC-Salkehatchie Williams was an assistant coach at Northwest Florida State College, one of the premier junior college basketball programs in the nation. During his two years at NWF the Raiders made two trips to the NJCAA National Tournament. Prior to Northwest Florida, Williams was a director of basketball operations at NCAA Division I program, University of North Carolina-Central. Williams started his coaching career as a student assistant and video coordinator at Middle Tennessee State University for current Ole Miss head coach Kermit Davis."I am beyond excited about the addition of Coach Williams to the Conq Basketball program. He has a definite direction and plan for our program and how it fits in the community," said DCCC Athletic Director&nbsp;<a href="https://goconqs.com/staff.aspx?staff=74">Jacob Ripple</a>. "He really rose to the top of our applicant pool and the committee was very excited about him. He brings an infectious energy that will really get our students excited about the basketball program, both the players and the rest of the student body."Williams was chosen from a pool of over 100 candidates. He will start his duties for DCCC on April 1, 2020.<figure>
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Jake Williams Hired As Next Men's Basketball Coach at Dodge City CC