By: Nolan Alexander
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State men's basketball head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim has announced that William Small, who has more than 25 years of college coaching experience, has joined the program as an assistant coach. Recently, Small spent six seasons as an assistant coach at Iowa State.
"As we build our program, there is always emphasis on adding people to our program with passion, character, and integrity. I am ecstatic to add coach Small, his wife Paula, and daughter Chiya to our Kennesaw State family," said Abdur-Rahim. "Coach Small is someone who over the last 20 years has impacted my life in a major way. When he recruited me out of Garden City Community College, he was always someone who told me the truth and pushed me to be a better version of myself. Coach Small has worked, recruited, impacted, and developed student-athletes at every level of college basketball. He has coached NBA players such as Courtney Lee, Isaiah Canaan, Cameron Payne, Monte Morris, Georges Niang, Talon Horton-Tucker, Tyrese Haliburton and Mariol Shayok. Coach Small is a blue collar, roll your sleeves up type of man and I am excited to see the impact he will have on our current student-athletes daily."
Small has coached eight NBA Draft picks from a career that has spanned Iowa State, Murray State, UTEP, Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia State, Tulane, Troy, UT-Martin, Alabama-Huntsville, and Cowley Community College starting in 1995.
Most recently, he helped lead Iowa State to three NCAA tournament appearances, two Big 12 Tournament titles, 97 wins and a trio of upper-half finishes in the Big 12 Conference, including a second-place finish in 2016-17.
Small brings a large history of offensive success. The Cyclones finished ninth nationally in adjusted offense in 2019, marking the third time in Small's time at ISU in which the Cyclones ranked among the nation's top-15 on the offensive end of the floor.
The 2019-20 team had a pair of players earn All-Big 12 honors including Bob Cousy Award finalist Tyrese Haliburton.
Iowa State went 23-12 in 2018-19, making the NCAA Tournament and winning the Big 12 Tournament. The Cyclones had four players recognized by the Big 12 Conference on its all-league teams, led by All-American and Julius Erving Award finalist Marial Shayok.
The 2016-17 Cyclone team finished No. 16 in the AP poll and ranked high on its offensive statistics, finishing No. 11 nationally in both adjusted offensive efficiency three-pointers made (344).
"I am so excited about the opportunity to come and be a part of Kennesaw State University. I was fortunate to have recruited and coached Amir for a couple of years at Southeastern Louisiana University and I am so proud to watch him develop into one of the best up and coming head coaches in college basketball," said Small. "I'm also elated to work with the staff and can't wait to get to know the players. We are excited to come to the southeast to a program that is being talked about all over the country. With the guidance of Amir and the rest of the staff, I look forward to promoting the development of good, young men both on and off the court. My family and I are grateful for this amazing opportunity."
Prior to coming to Iowa State, Small coached for four seasons at Murray State where he helped the Racers to a 104-29 record and three postseason berths.
Small and MSU made a splash in his first season. The Racers were ranked as high as No. 10, including 13 weeks in the polls. MSU finished 31-2, including owning a 23-0 start and were the nation's last undefeated team. The 31 wins were an Ohio Valley Conference record, and the Racers were the nation's only team to go undefeated in road games (13-0).
Murray State won at least 20 games in each of his four seasons as an assistant coach, which included posting a 29-6 mark and berth in the NIT quarterfinals in 2014-15. The Racers finished the OVC portion of their schedule perfect at 16-0.
Small was an assistant coach at Western Kentucky in 2004-05, when the Hilltoppers finished 22-9 and made the NIT.
Small played collegiately at Belhaven College in Jackson, Miss., where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business in 1993.
A native of Winona, Miss., he and his wife, Paula, have a daughter, Chiya.
