Tomball ISD Welcomes James Williams to Lead Athletics at New Tomball West High School

TOMBALL — Tomball ISD and Tomball West High School are proud to announce the selection of James Williams as the inaugural Campus Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach of Tomball West High School, the District’s newest comprehensive high school scheduled to open in August 2026.
Coach Williams brings nearly three decades of coaching experience and a distinguished record of building and sustaining championship-caliber athletic programs grounded in character, discipline, and excellence. His leadership will play a pivotal role in establishing the culture, traditions, and competitive foundation of Tomball West High School from its very beginning.

“As we prepare to open Tomball West High School, I am excited to welcome James Williams as the inaugural Campus Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach,” said Kevin Williams, Principal of Tomball West High School. “Coach Williams is an established program builder and proven winner whose leadership, vision, and commitment to developing students make him the ideal choice to help shape the Gold Standard identity of Tomball West athletics.

“Our vision is excellence in all that we do from day one. Coach Williams understands that strong programs are built on accountability, relationships, and purpose. As our first Campus Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach, he will help set the foundation, build traditions, and develop leaders whose impact reaches far beyond the field. I am excited to welcome Coach Williams to the Tiger Family as we begin this journey together setting the Gold Standard at Tomball West High School.”

For the past 16 years, Coach Williams has served as Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at Thurgood Marshall High School in Fort Bend ISD, where he led the Buffalos through one of the most successful eras in program history. When he arrived in 2010, the program was in rebuilding mode. Under his guidance, Marshall quickly emerged as a perennial contender, highlighted by multiple deep playoff runs and back-to-back appearances in the State Championship game in 2018 and 2019.

Throughout his career, Coach Williams has been widely recognized for excellence both on and off the field. His honors include Houston Chronicle All-Greater Houston Coach of the Year (2016, 2018), District Coach of the Year, VYPE Magazine Co-Coach of the Year, Houston Texans Coach of the Week, and numerous leadership and sportsmanship awards. He has also served in prominent leadership roles across the state, including President of the Greater Houston Football Coaches Association and a five-year member of the Texas High School Coaches Association Region 5 Board of Directors.

Prior to his tenure at Marshall, Coach Williams coached at Hightower High School as Defensive Coordinator, helping lead the program to a State Championship appearance, and at Manvel High School, where he was named Teacher of the Year. His background reflects a deep commitment to student-athletes, academic achievement, and the development of young leaders.

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Coach Williams holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and a Master’s degree in Educational Organization and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. As a student-athlete, he competed in football and track and field, and later served on the University of Illinois coaching staff as an Operations/Recruiting Assistant and Defensive Graduate Assistant. He was part of the coaching staff that captured the 2001 Big Ten Championship.

As Campus Athletic Coordinator and Head Football Coach, Coach Williams will oversee the development of Tomball West High School’s athletic programs while building a culture of pride, integrity, and excellence for the Tigers that aligns with Tomball ISD’s mission and values. He will join the Tomball ISD in February.

Coach Williams and his wife, Dr. Alveda J. Williams, have been married for 25 years and are the proud parents of two children, Janai and James III.