History

The men’s basketball program at Williams College is one of the most successful programs nationally at the Div. III level. Since the 1993-94 season, the Ephs have made four appearances in the Div. III final four — winning the national championship in 2003.

In addition, the Ephs have earned three NESCAC Tournament championships since 2003, including 2008 season when the Ephs defeated top-seeded Amherst on its home court.

In his debut season Mike Maker won the Ephs 1st outright Little 3 title in 13 years

Second year head coach Mike Maker will trot out his first Williams team that has players on that he has recruited when the 2009-10 season begins. Maker was hired in the summer of 2008 and first met his Eph team in Boston's Logan Airport as they assembled for a trip to Italy.

In Maker's first year at the helm of the Ephs he guided his quintet to a 17-9 mark, 6-3 in NESCAC and the first outright Little Three title for Williams since 1996.

Maker took over the Eph program from Dave Paulsen '87 who concluded eight years as the ephs head coach. Paulsen was named the Division III National Coach of the Year twice (2003 & 2004), claiming the NCAA Division III title in 2003. Williams was the first New England team to capture the NCAA title as they compiled a record of 31-1.

On Dec. 4, 2004 Williams defeated UMaine Fort Kent 106-54 for their 63rd consecutive home court win, breaking the previous NCAA Div. III best of 62 held by North Park (IL).

Recognized as a varsity sport in 1900, Williams basketball won instant acclaim by defeating mighty Harvard and winning 39 of its first 47 games over a four-year span. In 1910, Williams was 11-0, winning the New England title for the fourth straight year, and claiming the mythical National Championship.

Over the years Williams has played as tough a schedule as any New England small college. Under Charlie Caldwell, Williams continued its winning ways in the '20s and '30s In one memorable game in 1934, Williams downed Columbia 21-15 before 10,000 in Madison Square Garden.

Legendary coach Al Shaw took over the Williams program in 1950 and the move paid immediate dividends. Shaw guided the Ephs to a 10-6 record and the 1950 Little Three championship. In the 23 years that followed, Williams won or tied for 15 Little Three titles, with a record seven in a row at one point, as Shaw compiled an impressive 312-171 lifetime record. Shaw's 1954-55 team finished 17-1 and competed in the NCAA Division I Tournament East Regional at Madison Square Garden

Shaw capped his brilliant career in 1973 by bringing his team to the ECAC New England championship game. Curt Tong followed Shaw and won 14 games in each of his first two seasons and was undefeated in Little Three play.

This tradition of excellence was  reinforced in the 80s with the return of Harry Sheehy, III in the fall of 1983, as coach. The Ephs brought home the Little Three title in 1984. The Ephs followed with Little Three titles again in 1986 and 1988, the 1987 ECAC-New England championship.

The 1990s were one of the most successful eras in Williams' storied history. The Ephs' record of 221-45 (.831) in the 1990s was one of the best in the nation. During the 1994-95 season Williams became the first New England Division III team to record its 1,000th all-time victory.

The 1997 season saw the Ephs finish 27-3 and advance all the way to the Final Four in Salem, VA. Williams was voted 'Team of the Year' in the East by the ECAC. The 27 wins set a Williams record and marked the fifth consecutive season the Ephs won at least 22 games.

As impressive as the 1997 campaign had been, in 1998 the Ephs gave an equally brilliant encore performance. Finishing 26-4, Williams returned to the Final Four and finished third.

Sheehy, who retired as the winningest basketball coach in Williams history, was named Director of Athletics in 2000 and hired Dave Paulsen '87 as his successor.