Congratulations to Our WCPML Coach of the Year: Kiki Williams

Head Coach Kiki Williams originally moved here from Georgia and grew up in Lakewood, WA. She grew up watching my brothers play football and started her own journey in 2013 where she played Women’s full contact football for the Seattle Majestics as a RB for 7 years. While playing she was elected to play in 2 All-American games and one of those years receiving the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.

She has coached in a Russell Wilson camp and a Manning Passing Academy in New Orleans for girls. She followed that by coaching youth for a year before being recruited onto the Knights staff during our inaugural 2022 season. 

Coach Kiki worked her way up the ranks from there, officially taking over as interim head coach to finish the 2022 season and then becoming the full-time head coach of the Grit City Knights in 2023. 

In her first full year as head coach, Kiki Williams lead the Knights to a 5-3 record and a playoff berth in the GDFL, becoming the first and only female head coach to do so in the national league's 14 year history. The Grit City Knights fell short in the playoffs but the Knights were far from detoured.

In 2024, the Grit City Knights moved to the newly created West Coast Minor League. Coach Kiki returned as head coach of the Knights and compiled a stellar coaching staff for the Knights 2024 campaign, featuring the likes of Tutu Tamaalevea at OC, Andre Bonaparte at DC, Damian Mansfield at Asst. DC, and Brian Mann at RB and Special Teams Coach.
Head Coach Williams and her staff quickly built on her previous success, leading the Knights to their first playoff victory and first championship in franchise history. Going 11-1 over that stretch, Kiki's Knights defeated every team in the league before being crowned West Coast Pacific Minor League Champs. She was also honored by being selected as one of 4 coaches to coach in the WCPML 2024 All-Star game and leading her side to a come-from-behind victory in the final seconds of the 2024 WCPML All-Star game.

Head Coach Kiki Williams ends her 2024 season with a career regular season record of 18-6 and a playoff record of 3-2 and 1-0 in championship games and 1-0 in All-Star games. She also made history this year by becoming the first recorded semi-pro football female head coach to win a championship in the men's division. As a league we celebrate her accomplishments and are delighted to bestow her with the honor of the WCPML Head Coach of the Year.