William Small - Men's Basketball Coach - Iowa State University Athletics

William Small

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
wsmall@iastate.edu
Phone:
4-4818

William Small, who has more than 25 years of college coaching experience, spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Iowa State.

In his six seasons in Ames, Iowa State compiled 97 wins and three upper-half finishes in the Big 12 Conference, including a second-place finish in 2016-17. The Cyclones advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times, while also winning the Big 12 Tournament in 2017 and 2019. Nine Cyclones reached the NBA during Small's tenure in Ames.

The 2019-20 team had a pair of players earn All-Big 12 honors in Tyrese Haliburton (second team) and Rasir Bolton (honorable mention). Five Cyclones were named Academic All-Big 12, the second most in the conference. Haliburton was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award prior to suffering a season-ending wrist injury that hampered the Cyclones' season.

Iowa State went 23-12 in 2018-19, making the NCAA Tournament and winning the Big 12 Tournament. The Cyclones had four players recognized by the Big 12 Conference on its all-league teams, led by Marial Shayok being named an All-Big 12 First-Team selection and later an All-American. Shayok was also a finalist for the Julius Erving Award, given annually to the nation's top small forward.

Offensively, Iowa State continued to be a powerhouse, finishing ninth nationally in adjusted offense in 2019. It was the third time in Small's five seasons in which the Cyclones ranked among the nation's top-15 on the offensive end of the floor.

Iowa State defeated six nationally ranked teams during the 2018-19 season, including a pair of top-10 wins against Kansas and Texas Tech.

The 2017-18 team battled youth and inexperience but showed promise toward the future as a pair of freshmen garnered All-Big 12 honorable mention honors, including Cameron Lard, who was recruited by Small.

Lard finished the season averaging 12.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks, one of just three freshmen nationally to post 12-8-2. Lard also ranked among the nation's top players in field goal percentage and offensive rebounding and was twice named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, while also earning USBWA National Freshman of the Week accolades once.

The 2016-17 Cyclone team continued Iowa State's tradition of being one of the nation's top offensive teams, finishing No. 11 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency while averaging 80.8 points per game (28th nationally). The Cyclones continued to shoot the ball at a high clip, connecting on a Big 12-best 344 three-pointers, which also ranked 11th nationally. ISU concluded the season ranked No. 16 in the final Associated Press Top-25 poll.

Iowa State's student-athletes have received no shortage of attention during Small's tenure with players being recognized 20 times in six seasons, the second-most among conference teams during that stretch. Shayok, Georges Niang and Monté Morris have all earned All-America honors, with Niang also receiving the Karl Malone Award in 2016, a recognition bestowed annually to the nation's top power forward.

Small's first five seasons saw the Cyclones record a number of memorable wins. In addition to the Big 12 Tournament titles, Iowa State won at No. 3 Kansas in 2017, snapping the Jayhawks' 51-game win streak at Allen Fieldhouse.

The 2015-16 team beat No. 1 Oklahoma for the school's second-ever win against a top-ranked foe. In total, Iowa State has posted seven wins against top-10 teams the last five seasons.

Prior to coming to Iowa State, Small spent four seasons coaching with Steve Prohm at Murray State. Before joining the MSU staff, Small spent the 2010-11 season under former Iowa State head coach Tim Floyd at UTEP.

Small and Prohm’s relationship dates back to their days coaching with former MSU and Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy at Southeastern Louisiana. The group revived a struggling program and won back-to-back Southland Conference titles and the school’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Small played an integral part in the Racers’ success in his four seasons at the school, helping them to a 104-29 record and three postseason berths.

In his first season in Murray, the Racers went 31-2 and spent 13 weeks in the national polls, rising as high as No. 10. MSU raced out to a 23-0 start and were the nation’s last undefeated team. The Racers earned a No. 6 seed and beat Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament. The 31 wins were an Ohio Valley Conference record and the Racers were the nation’s only team to go undefeated in road games (13-0).

Murray State won at least 20 games in each of his seasons as an assistant coach, which included posting a 29-6 mark in 2014-15. The Racers finished the conference season 16-0 and reached the NIT Quarterfinals.

Small was an assistant coach at Western Kentucky in 2004-05, when the Hilltoppers finished 22-9 and made the NIT.

The Winona, Mississippi, native has had coaching stints at Cowley Community College (1995-97), Alabama-Huntsville (1997-98), UT-Martin (1999-00), Troy (2005-06), Tulane (2006-07) and Georgia State (2007-10) in addition to his stops at Murray State, Southeastern Louisiana and UTEP.

Small recruited former Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and 2008 first-round NBA draft pick Courtney Lee to Western Kentucky. He coached All-Americans Isaiah Canaan and Cameron Payne at Murray State. Canaan was a second-round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and Payne was a first-round selection in the 2015 draft.

Small's total number of NBA Draft picks rose to eight in 2019 when Shayok and Talen Horton-Tucker were drafted.

Small played collegiately at Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1993.

Small and his wife, Paula, have a daughter, Chiya.