Did Mo Williams join Kentucky because of his son? What Mason Williams’ commitment means

Like son, like father.

Mason and Mo Williams have turned the old adage on its head. On Monday, Mo Williams, a former NBA All-Star, announced he is leaving his post as head coach at Jackson State to join Kentucky as an assistant. The move comes just three days after his son Mason, a four-star point guard in the Class of 2026, committed to the Wildcats.

The transition from the SWAC to the SEC ends a six-year coaching stint at the mid-major level for the elder Williams. Mo Williams, who played 13 seasons in the NBA, landed the head coaching job at Alabama State in 2020 and took over at Jackson State in his native Mississippi two years later.

"I want to thank (Jackson State Vice President and Director of Athletics) 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 released by Jackson State on Monday. "To be able to come back to Jackson and lead the hometown team is something I did not take lightly, and I want to thank AD Robinson and the university for believing in me. My family and I will always call Jackson home, and I want to thank the fans and alumni for the love and support they showed us over the last four years and for showing why we love Jackson. To everyone associated with the program over the last four years, know that the work you put in did not go unnoticed, and thank you for the buy-in and the hard work over my tenure. I wish nothing but the best to Jackson State as they move forward."

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Mason Williams was originally expected to join his father at Jackson State.

The 6-foot-2, 185-pound point guard committed to the Tigers in late October. It was a feel-good move that would have reunited him with both his father and older brother, Mike Williams, a freshman guard under their father at Jackson State in 2025-26.

However, those plans were all but canceled a little more than a month later. In late November, Mason scored 23 points to lift Tennessee Collegiate Academy to an upset victory against Prolific Prep (Fla.). He matched up against five-star junior point guard Nasir Anderson and eventual McDonald’s All-Americans Caleb Holt and Bruce Branch III, now committed to Arizona and BYU, respectively.

Just days after that performance, Mason Williams, then ranked No. 1 in the nation in some polls, decommitted from Jackson State and reopened his recruitment.

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This past weekend, he announced his commitment to Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over offers from Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Washington, among others. Coincidentally, Mo Williams, still the head coach at Jackson State at the time, stood beside his son and wore Kentucky gear in photos from the visit.

Mason Williams is the Wildcats’ first commitment in the Class of 2026.

Mo Williams leaves Jackson State with a 57-75 record as a head coach, including regular-season and SWAC tournament runner-up finishes in 2024-25.

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