The Durham Lords women’s basketball season is over but planning for the 2026-2027 season is already underway under a new head coach.
Warren Williams will coach the team starting in September, taking over from Michael Duggan who filled the role after the departure of Sherlon Chance in December.
Although Williams doesn’t start for a couple of months, he is already recruiting.
“I would look for, first of all, the fundamental basketball skills. How many of those skills do you have, so we don’t have to teach it as much,” he says.
Williams says beyond the basketball basics, he looks for players who can show effort, focus, energy and ability to follow game plans.
“Our purpose is to produce citizens with character and competence and confidence so that’s really what it’s about for us is producing those citizens who have those kinds of traits coming out,” he says.
Williams has coached basketball for more than two decades, but his interest sparked in a co-op position in Grade 13.
“We won the championship that year. So I think just the combination, kind of satisfying and passion and understanding like, oh, wow, this is what it takes to be successful, was really what got me started,“ says Williams.
According to the Durham Lords, Williams has held numerous medal-winning performances at Canada basketball national championships. His work has also extended into the elite club and academy settings, most recently as head coach with Redmond Basketball Academy.
He currently teaches high school in Mississauga and with his background in education, he believes there is more to coaching and playing basketball than winning.
Williams says the real championship is graduating citizens from the program who can be productive and professional in the world.
Scott Dennis, Durham College’s athletic director, says there were many factors in choosing Williams as a head coach.
“A lot of it had to do with experience. We wanted someone who was familiar with the OCAA and college basketball [and] had a lot of connections as well,” says Dennis.
With more 20 years of experience, Williams says Durham College is the right step in his coaching journey.
Williams says the Lords have all the components and resources to win a championship. He says there are plenty of players available in the area to ensure the Lords have a competitive program.