Chris Williams is in his sixth year overall as an assistant coach and fourth season with the Auburn men's golf team in 2024-25. The season marks his first as the associate head coach at Auburn.
Year three as the Auburn assistant was a magical one for Williams as he joined forces with Clinard to coach one of the best teams in the history of the sport. Their Auburn squad compiled a 185-9-1 head-to-head record and obliterated the previous program record with 10 tournament victories, including seven in a row to close out the season. In 2023-24, the Tigers won the program's fifth SEC Championship and finished by putting cherry on top with its first ever NCAA Championship.
In his second season on The Plains, Williams helped guide the Tigers to a school record, five tournament wins and a top-10 national finish. Auburn ended the fall slate with a No. 1 national ranking thanks to victories in three of four fall events. In 2022-23, the Williams joined head coach Nick Clinard to coach eight SEC Golfers of the Week, three All-SEC selections, four All-Region honorees and two Honorable Mention All-Americans.
In 2021-22, Williams coached the squad to the fourth best team scoring average in school history (284.29). Alongside Clinard, he led the team to its third-highest placement at the NCAA Championship and also produced a pair of All-SEC, All-Region selections and one PING All-American.
Williams came to The Plains from Marquette University where he was an assistant coach during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
While with the Golden Eagles, Williams was instrumental in the development of Hunter Eichhorn, who was named the BIG EAST Player of the Year, PING All-American and became Marquette's career scoring average leader.
Williams was also busy on the recruiting trail after signing a pair of top-60 recruits nationally.
As a professional golfer, Williams competed in both the Mackenzie Tour in Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamérica after turning pro in 2013. He competed in a pair of U.S. Opens, one in 2011 after winning a sectional qualifying event, and in 2013 as the top amateur.
Williams was a four-time All-American at the University of Washington from 2009-13. While with the Huskies, he won six tournaments, earned 28 top-10 finishes and led the team in scoring his final three years.
The Moscow, Idaho native won the Ben Hogan Award as the NCAA's top golfer in 2013 and was also awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in 2012.
Williams spent 46 weeks ranked as the top amateur in the world after earning the distinction prior to his senior year at Washington.
As a freshman, Williams was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and won the Mickelson Award as the country's top freshman after finishing ninth at the NCAA Championship.
Williams also competed for Team USA in the Walker Cup (2011), Palmer Cup (2011, 2012), World Amateur (2012) and Copa De American (2013).