Roger Williams - Baseball Coach - University of Louisville Athletic

Roger Williams

Title:
Associate Head Coach/Pitching
Email:
roger@GoCards.com
Phone:
852-3929

Associate Head Coach - 19th season

2013 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year

Player Honors (Louisville tenure)

2017 National Player of the Year - Brendan McKay
22 All-Americans
41 All-Conference Selections
7 Conference Pitchers of the Year
3 Conference Freshmen of the Year
55 MLB Draft Picks (pitchers)
17 MLB Pitchers

Roger Williams is in his 19th season as pitching coach and 11th season as associate head coach for the University of Louisville baseball team, where his pitchers have been integral in the Cardinals’ five College World Series appearances, 13 NCAA Championship appearances, 10 regular-season conference titles and two conference tournament championships.

During Williams’ time at Louisville, 55 pitchers have been drafted, including six first round selections and 17 pitchers taken in the first five rounds.

The Ville to the Show

The University of Louisville program had produced just two players that had reached the MLB level prior to 2007.

Right-handed pitcher Trystan Magnuson was selected with the 59th overall pick in the 2007 draft and became the first Louisville pitcher under Roger Williams' tutelage to reach the big leagues.

Magnuson opened the floodgates for Louisville pitchers' pathway to The Show. The Cardinals have had at least one former pitcher make his MLB debut in 12 of the last 14 seasons.

In total, 17 Louisville pitchers have reached the Major Leagues since Williams arrival in 2007.

Season Capsules

2024 – 32-24 (16-14 ACC)

The 2024 season saw 20 different arms take the mound for the Cardinals, including 10 that made starts. Evan Webster turned in an All-Conference season after transitioning from the bullpen into the starting rotation for his final season, going 5-3 with a 4.18 ERA. Patrick Forbes and Tucker Biven each went to play for the USA Collegiate National Team in the 2024 summer. Sebastian Gongora (Baltimore Orioles, 11th round) and Kaleb Corbett (Tampa Bay Rays, 20th round) were each selected in the 2024 MLB Draft.

2023 - 31-24 (10-20 ACC)

The Cardinals finished among the top 25 nationally in ERA and hits allowed per nine innings in 2023. Carson Liggett led Louisville's pitching staff with a 7-2 record and 3.42 ERA, earning All-ACC honors. Tate Kuehner (Milwaukee Brewers, seventh round) and Ryan Hawks (Seattle Mariners, eighth round) were each selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.

2022 - 42-21-1 (18-11-1 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions

Louisville spread the wealth around in 2022, with 20 different pitchers recording at least 10 innings on the mound. Jared Poland led the Cardinals' starting staff with a 3.46 ERA and finished fifth in the ACC with 103 strikeouts. Closer Michael Prosecky locked down the ninth inning, finishing second in the ACC and top-20 nationally with 11 saves, the seventh-most in a single season in program history. Poland (Miami Marlins, sixth round) and Prosecky (Colorado Rockies, sixth round) each had their name called in the MLB Draft.

2021 - 28-22 (16-16 ACC)

Twenty-one different Cardinals took the ball at least once during the 2021 season. Michael Kirian led the team in innings pitched and strikeouts, while Luke Seed held a team-best 2.64 ERA in 12 starts. The 2021 MLB Draft saw two Louisville pitchers selected with Kirian (Washington Nationals, sixth round) and Glenn Albanese (Los Angeles Angels, 15th round) both chosen.

2020 - 13-4 (2-1 ACC), program's first-ever preseason No. 1 ranking

During the shortened season in 2020, the Louisville pitching staff ranked top 10 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings and helped the Cardinals to a 13-4 start. Reid Detmers was second in the country with 48 punchouts in four starts and was selected with the 10th overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels. Bobby Miller heard his name called shortly after, getting selected with the 29th overall pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2020 MLB Draft marked the first time multiple Louisville pitchers had been chosen in the first round in the same season.

2019 - 51-18 (21-9 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions

The Louisville pitching staff led the ACC with a 3.53 team ERA, and ranked top-10 in the country in strikeouts per nine innings (10.4), hits allowed per nine innings (7.04) and WHIP (1.20) helping the Cardinals to their fifth College World Series appearance. Southpaw Reid Detmers was a near-consensus All-American and captured ACC Pitcher of the Year honors after tying the program record for wins in a single season after posting a 13-4 record with a 2.78 ERA and school record 167 strikeouts. The Cardinals had four pitchers taken in the 2019 MLB Draft, led by Michael McAvene’s third-round selection by the Chicago Cubs. Nick Bennett (Milwaukee Brewers, sixth round), Bryan Hoeing (Miami Marlins, seventh round) and Shay Smiddy (Tampa Bay Rays, 36th round) were also selected.

2018 - 45-19 (18-12 ACC), NCAA Regional

Louisville's pitching staff was amongst the best in the ACC in 2018, leading the league with a 3.53 ERA. The Cardinals were also top five nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (7.40) and top 20 in strikeouts per nine (9.5). Lefthander Adam Wolf earned All-America honors after going 8-2 with a 2.63 ERA and 109 strikeouts. Six Louisville pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft - Wolf to the Detroit Tigers (fifth round); pitcher Riley Thompson to the Chicago Cubs (11th round); pitcher Sam Bordner to the Miami Marlins (16th round); pitcher Liam Jenkins to the Cleveland Indians (17th round); pitcher Austin Conway to the Chicago White Sox (31st round); and pitcher Bryan Hoeing to the San Francisco Giants (36th round).

2017 - 53-12 (23-6 ACC), NCAA College World Series, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, program-record 53 wins

Three Louisville pitchers earned All-America honors highlighted by a pair of national award winners -- consensus National Player of the Year Brendan McKay (11-3, 2.56 ERA, 146 SO) and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Lincoln Henzman (3-0, 1.67 ERA, 16 SV). Reliever Sam Bordner (2-0, 0.41 ERA, 2 SV) also received All-America recognition as a third team selection by the NCBWA. McKay led a trio of pitchers selected in the 2017 MLB Draft going No. 4 overall to the Tampa Bay Rays while Henzman went in the fourth round to the Chicago White Sox and Kade McClure went in the sixth round to the White Sox.

As a staff, the Louisville pitchers ranked in the top 12 nationally in six different categories in 2017 -- third in ERA, fourth in WHIP, fourth in hits allowed per nine innings, sixth in shutouts, 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio and 12th in strikeouts per nine innings. McKay anchored the pitching staff closing his career among the most decorated players in college baseball history winning Golden Spikes Award and Dick Howser Trophy in 2017, earning three straight John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year honors and becoming a three-time First Team All-American after opening his career as the National Freshman of the Year in 2015. McKay capped his three years in Louisville as the program's career leader in strikeouts (391) and ranking No. 2 in career wins (32).

2016 - 50-14 (22-8 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions

Four Louisville pitchers garnered All-America honors during the 2016 season while the team ranked second in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings, third in shutouts with a school record 11, fifth in ERA, sixth in WHIP, 15th in strikeouts per nine innings and 21st in strikeout-to-walk ratio. The All-America accolades were abundant for Louisville in 2016 as righty Zack Burdi (11 saves, 47 strikeouts in 30.0 IP), lefty Drew Harrington (12-2, 1.95 ERA), McClure (12-0, 2.54 ERA) and McKay (12-4, 2.30 ERA) each earned First Team All-America recognition from various outlets. It marked the second straight season Burdi and McKay earned the national recognition. McKay also became the first repeat winner of the prestigious John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.

In his first season in the Cardinals' weekend pitching rotation, Harrington emerged as one of the nation's most consistent and dominant hurlers while garnering the 2016 ACC Pitcher of the Year Award. The junior was 8-0 with a 1.33 ERA in his 10 conference starts and became the sixth different Louisville pitcher to earn a conference pitcher of the year award in Williams' first 10 seasons with the Cardinals. Harrington was joined by Burdi and McKay in receiving All-ACC recognition. The 2016 season culminated with eight players being selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, including four pitchers -- Burdi (1st Round, 26th overall, Chicago White Sox), Harrington (3rd Round, 80th overall, Atlanta Braves), righthander Kyle Funkhouser (4th Round, 115th overall, Detroit Tigers) and righty Lincoln Henzman (31st Round, Seattle Mariners).

2015 - 47-18 (25-5 ACC), NCAA Super Regional, ACC Atlantic Division Champions, ACC record 25 conference wins

The 2015 season was highlighted by a trio of Louisville pitchers earning All-America honors while the team ranked in the top 12 nationally in five different pitching categories -- third in hits allowed per nine innings, seventh in ERA, ninth in strikeouts per nine innings, 12th in WHIP and 12th in shutouts. The All-American honors included numerous first team accolades for McKay, who was also chosen as National Freshman of the Year by Baseball America, D1Baseball and Perfect Game as well as ACC Freshman of the Year by the league's head coaches. Selected as the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year, McKay was 9-3 with a 1.77 ERA, four saves and 117 strikeouts in 96.2 innings on the mound. He finished fourth in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings, 12th in strikeouts, 14th in WHIP and 23rd in ERA.

Joining McKay with All-America honors in 2015 were Burdi and righty Kyle Funkhouser, third team selections by Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Burdi was 6-1 with nine saves, a 0.92 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 29.1 innings pitched as the Louisville closer, while Funkhouser was 8-5 with a 3.20 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 112.1 innings as the team's Friday night ace. Additionally, McKay, Henzman and Sean Leland were named Freshman All-Americans following the 2015 season. Henzman was named as a Freshman All-American by Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball newspaper and D1Baseball, while Leland was named by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.

A trio of Louisville pitchers were selected in the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft, highlighted by Funkhouser going 35th overall to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first round. Additionally, lefty Josh Rogers was chosen in the 11th round by the New York Yankees and lefty Robert Strader went in the 12th round to the Baltimore Orioles.

2014 - 50-17 (19-5 American), NCAA College World Series, American Athletic Conference Champions

Louisville's pitching staff was a key reason for the program's second straight College World Series appearance and the third visit to Omaha in eight seasons. Overall, the Cardinals ranked fifth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings at 8.4, 12th in hits allowed per nine innings (7.4), 19th nationally in shutouts with eight and 20th in ERA at 2.80. Following the 2014 season, Williams was promoted to associate head coach by Louisville head coach Dan McDonnell.

Individually, the duo of junior righty closer Nick Burdi and Funkhouser led the way earning All-American honors for the Cardinals in 2014. Chosen as the NCBWA Stopper of the Year, Burdi was named First Team All-America by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, Perfect Game, the American Baseball Coaches Association and the NCBWA while setting a school record with 18 saves as a junior. Adding a 3-1 record with a 0.49 ERA and 65 strikeouts in 37.0 innings pitched in 2014, Burdi became the Cardinals' highest draft pick at the time when the Minnesota Twins selected him 46th overall in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft. The hard-throwing righty closed his collegiate career as Louisville's all-time saves leader with 34 to go along with a school record 1.79 ERA.

In his first season as a weekend starter for the Cardinals, Funkhouser emerged as the ace of the staff earning Second Team All-America honors from the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball newspaper and Third Team All-America accolades from Baseball America and Perfect Game. Statistically, he set a school record for single season wins finishing 13-3 overall with a 1.94 ERA and 122 strikeouts (third most at Louisville) in 120.1 innings pitched (second most at Louisville) and 18 starts. Following Louisville's trip to Omaha, Funkhouser pitched for the USA Collegiate National Team finishing with a team-high 36 strikeouts and a 1.27 ERA in six appearances and 28.1 innings.

In June, Burdi was one of four Louisville pitchers chosen in the MLB Draft as righty Jared Ruxer was taken in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, lefty Joe Filomeno went in the 15th round to the Texas Rangers and lefty Kyle McGrath went in the 36th round to the San Diego Padres. It marked the second straight season the Cardinals had four pitchers selected in the MLB Draft.

2013 - 51-14 (20-4 Big East), NCAA College World Series, Big East Conference Champions

Louisville's second CWS berth was anchored by a pitching staff that ranked among the nation's best as the Cardinals closed the 2013 season at No. 5 in the NCAA in ERA at 2.52, No. 1 overall in strikeouts per nine innings at 9.6, No. 2 in the nation in hits allowed per nine innings (6.93), ninth in WHIP (1.15) and 11th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.82 strikeouts per walk). Louisville also set a school record for shutouts in 2013 with 10 surpassing the previous school record of seven set during the program's first College World Series appearance in 2007. For his work with the Cardinals in 2013, Williams was selected as the ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year.

Overall, Louisville finished with a school record 629 strikeouts on the mound while opponents hit just .214 against the Cardinals in 2013. The 2.52 ERA was the lowest for a Louisville team since 1958. During the run to the College World Series, the Cardinals had a 2.47 ERA in seven NCAA Championship games with 60 strikeouts in 62.0 innings pitched. The pitching staff was a key component to Louisville's NCAA Super Regional win at No. 2 national seed Vanderbilt as the Cardinals outpitched the Commodores allowing just three earned runs and a .176 batting average (12 hits, one extra-base hit) in the two-game sweep in Nashville.

Individually, a pair of Louisville pitchers earned All-America honors in 2013 as sophomore righty Nick Burdi (16 saves, 0.76 ERA) was a First Team Perfect Game All-American and a Second Team NCBWA All-American while junior righty Jeff Thompson (11-2, 2.19 ERA) was Louisville Slugger Second Team All-America by College Baseball newspaper, Third Team All-America by Perfect Game and Third Team All-America by NCBWA. Thompson was also selected as BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year marking the fifth time in seven years a Louisville player has earned the conference award. Two more Louisville pitchers - righthanders Kyle Funkhouser (5-1, 2.14 ERA) and Anthony Kidston (5-0, 1.31 ERA) - were named Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans in 2013.

Following the season, Louisville had four pitchers selected in the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft -- righthander Dace Kime was taken 79th overall by the Cleveland Indians in the third round, Thompson was selected 94th overall in the third round by the Detroit Tigers, righty Chad Green was selected in the 11th Round by the Detroit Tigers and lefty Cody Ege was taken in the 15th Round by the Texas Rangers.

2012 - 41-22 (18-9 Big East), NCAA Regional, Big East Conference Champions

Louisville won the BIG EAST regular season title and advanced to the NCAA Regional final in Tucson. Leading the way for the pitchers was righty Justin Amlung, a Louisville Slugger All-American and the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, who was 9-4 with a 2.31 ERA and 105 strikeouts in 109 innings. Righty Jared Ruxer became the second Louisville pitcher to be selected as BIG EAST Rookie of the Year as he went 8-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 14 starts.

Joining Amlung and Ruxer as All-BIG EAST selections was Thompson, who was 9-4 with 73 strikeouts in 78.2 innings, and right-handed reliever Derek Self, who led the Cards with seven saves to go with a 2-2 record and a 3.41 ERA. Following the season, righty Matt Koch led a trio of Louisville pitchers selected in the 2012 MLB Draft when he was taken in the third round (107th overall) by the New York Mets. Self followed by going in the ninth round by the Washington Nationals, while Amlung went to the Cincinnati Reds in the 12th round.

2011 - 32-29 (14-13 Big East)

Louisville's trend of success on the mound continued in 2011 when the 3.06 team ERA was the program's lowest in more than 30 years. The pitching staff was led by Amlung, a First Team All-BIG EAST selection, who finished 10-2 with a 2.31 ERA and 80 strikeouts in 105.0 innings of work. Following Amlung was closer and All-BIG EAST honoree Tony Zych, who had 13 saves and was selected in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.

2010 - 50-14 (21-6 Big East), NCAA Regional, Big East Conference Champions, first 50-win season

The Cardinals' 2010 stable of pitchers was led by First Team All-American closer Neil Holland and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Thomas Royse. Holland finished the season ranked second in the nation with 17 saves to go along with an 8-1 record. In 56.1 innings of relief, the First Team All-BIG EAST selection had a 2.08 ERA and 59 strikeouts while opposing batters hit just .160 against him. Royse finished 9-1 with a 2.85 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 104.1 innings of work. Following the season, Royse was selected 114th overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2010 MLB Draft, while Holland was an 11th Round selection by the Washington Nationals. As a group, the Louisville pitchers led the BIG EAST and ranked 11th nationally with a 3.69 ERA while also leading the league in opposing batting average (.261) and strikeouts (485).

2009 - 47-18 (19-7 Big East), NCAA Super Regional, Big East Conference Champions

Williams' 2009 pitching staff was led by Justin Marks, who set a single-season school record with 11 wins to earn Second Team All-America and BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year accolades. Marks also finished his three-year career as the Cards' all-time leader in wins (29), strikeouts (305), ERA (2.96) and starts (48) before being drafted in the third round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics. Overall, the Cards' 2009 pitching staff led the BIG EAST in ERA at 4.32 and ranked 22nd in the nation.

Along with Marks, Royse also earned All-BIG EAST honors in 2009, while newcomers Derek Self and Tony Zych earned Freshman All-America recognition. Self was 7-0 on the season with a 3.88 ERA, while Zych was 6-2 overall, including a win in the BIG EAST Tournament title game over UConn to earn All-Tournament honors and a win in the Cards' NCAA Regional title game triumph over Vanderbilt to earn All-Regional honors.

2008 - 41-21 (16-11 Big East), NCAA Regional

After making an immediate impact on the Cards' pitching staff in the program's run to the College World Series in 2007, Williams saw his pitching staff continue its impressive success in 2008 with the program's first-ever BIG EAST Tournament title. The Cards were 4-0 in the tournament, including a pair of wins by Marks, who finished 2008 with a 9-2 record overall and a 2.37 ERA en route to earning First Team All-BIG EAST honors as well as Second Team (Ping!Baseball) and Third Team (ABCA) All-America honors.

2007 - 47-24 (19-8 Big East), First NCAA College World Series

In his first season in Louisville, Williams' pitching staff finished the 2007 season with a trip to Omaha and an ERA that closed the season ranked fifth in the nation. Williams dropped the team ERA from 4.87 in 2006 to 3.14 in 2007, despite inheriting a staff that lost six of its top seven arms. The squad set school records in wins (47), innings pitched (636.2) and strikeouts (514), up from 358 in 2006.

BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, Zack Pitts, who was 1-1 with a 5.74 ERA in 31.1 innings as a sophomore, tied the school record and led the BIG EAST with 10 wins in his first season under Williams in 2007, tossing a record 121.2 innings pitched while posting a 2.52 ERA. Marks was named Freshman All-American and BIG EAST Freshman of the Year after posting a 9-2 record with a 2.67 ERA in 104.2 IP. Opponents hit a conference-low .189 against Marks.

Closer Trystan Magnuson lead the BIG EAST with a school-record 37 appearances and posted nine saves, adding a 1.77 ERA - eighth in Cardinal history and third in the modern era (1975-present). Magnuson was drafted by the Blue Jays with the 56th pick in the draft after going undrafted in 2006, dropping his ERA from 3.69 to 1.77 in one season with Williams.

Skylar Meade more than doubled his career win total, going 9-4 for the Cardinals in 2007, and relievers Gavin Logsdon and Kyle Hollander were both named to the All-Columbia Regional team, combining to allow just one earned run and strike out 12 in 15.1 IP. Logsdon was 2-0 with a 1.92 ERA in 51.2 IP his sophomore year after tossing just 6.1 innings with a 10.50 ERA as a freshman. Hollander was 4-1 with a pair of saves and a 2.40 ERA and signed a pro contract with the Yankees following the season.

2006 - Georgia Assistant Coach

In his only season in Athens, Williams helped guide the Bulldogs to a 47-23 overall record and a spot in the College World Series. Right-hander Brooks Brown was selected 34th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first round of the MLB Draft. Brown doubled his win total from four in 2005 to eight in 2006 and lowered his opponents' batting average from .318 to .242 under Williams. Sophomore closer Fields lowered his ERA from 7.00 to a minuscule 1.80, adding a school record-tying 15 saves while earning All-American honors. Weekend starters Rip Warren and Mickey Westfal combined to win four games during the 2005 slate, but under Williams they won a combined 15 games. Five freshman Bulldog hurlers also saw innings during the 2006 slate, posting a combined 17-6 mark, paced by eight-game winner and freshman All-American Nathan Moreau.

1995-2005 - North Carolina Assistant Coach

During his 11-year tenure at North Carolina, Williams had 15 pitchers selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, and six more signed free agent contracts.

In Williams' final season with the Tar Heels, the team ranked 10th in the nation in ERA (3.17) and advanced to its fourth straight regional. That 2005 staff posted seven shutouts, tying the school mark established during the 2000 season. The 2006 UNC staff that Williams helped develop during the three seasons prior was one of the nation's elite, producing 2006 first-rounders Bard and Miller. Miller earned the Roger Clemens Award, college baseball's equivalent of the Cy Young, was Baseball America National Player of the Year and made All-America honors from every major national outlet. Bard and Miller earned freshman All-America honors in 2004 with Bard being named the ACC Freshman of the Year. In 2005, Miller went 8-4 with a 2.98 ERA while sophomore Robert Woodard led the Tar Heels, going 8-0 with a 2.11 ERA. Sophomore closer Matt Danford was second in the ACC in ERA at 1.41 and recorded nine saves.

1992-94 - East Carolina Assistant Coach

Following his playing career, Williams spent three seasons as the pitching coach at East Carolina, where the Pirates won 41 games in 1993 and advanced to an NCAA Regional. The pitching staff under Williams placed fifth in the nation in team ERA (2.99). Johnny Beck finished his career with the Pirates ranked first in innings (383.1) and second in wins (32) and strikeouts (317) under Williams.

1983-85 - North Carolina Playing Career

A two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer as a pitcher in 1984 and 1985, Williams ranked seventh in career wins at UNC with 24, posting a winning percentage of .800 during his three seasons. He enjoyed single-season bests in strikeouts in 1985 with 113 and ERA in 1983, a stunning 1.19. Both were top six in school history. He amassed 254 career strikeouts in Carolina Blue. Williams tied an ACC single-game record with 19 strikeouts against Duke in 1985. Williams was tabbed in the fourth round of the 1985 MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs and went on to play six seasons of pro ball, including two seasons at AAA Des Moines.

Personal

Williams is a native of Greenville, N.C., where his father George was the head baseball coach at ECU from 1974-76. It was there Williams completed his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1992 and earned a master's degree in education in 1993.

Williams is married to the former Stephanie Hensley of Asheville, N.C., and the couple has one daughter, Avery.