University of Chicago

Maria Williamson enters her fourth year as head coach of the Maroons in the 2023-24 season.

UChicago posted a 23-5 record during the 2022-23 season - the fourth-highest win total in program history. The Maroons advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and hosted postseason games for the first time since 2012. Senior guard Grace Hynes earned a bevy of awards, including WBCA Honorable Mention All-America, WBCA Division III All-Star Team, D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region and First Team All-UAA. Williamson and her assistants were named the UAA Coaching Staff of the Year, and three Maroons earned All-UAA status.

The 2021-22 Maroons posted a 14-10 overall record in Williamson's on-floor debut season. Senior forward Klaire Steffens was a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American while also receiving D3hoops.com Second Team All-Region status and First Team All-UAA honors. Junior guard Grace Hynes was a Second Team All-UAA selection as well. The Maroons ranked third in the conference with 60.7 points allowed per game while forcing a league-high 18.8 turnovers per game.

Prior to her time in Hyde Park, Williamson had a long and successful tenure at high academic institutions across the country as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Most recently, Williamson completed a four-year stint at Loyola University Chicago. As the recruiting coordinator, Williamson helped bring in classes that led to six Missouri Valley All-Freshman Team honorees. As a program, Loyola increased its win total by 13 wins over those four years and over 171 RPI spots nationally.

Williamson came to Loyola from Dartmouth College where she was an assistant coach, guard coach and recruiting coordinator for three years. While at Dartmouth, Williamson also coordinated the team’s defense where they finished in the top three in the Ivy League and top 100 nationally for two seasons. Williamson also helped bring in the highest rated recruiting class for the program in 2016.

Williamson started her assistant coaching career at the United States Naval Academy working for her former head coach at Bowdoin College, Stefanie Pemper. While at Navy, the program saw unprecedented success, winning its first Patriot League Championship in program history before winning two more. Those three championships led to three NCAA tournament apprearances, where Navy went toe-to-toe with some of the best programs nationally. She also coached two All-Patriot League honorees (Kara Pollinger and Alix Membreno).

As a student-athlete, Williamson (formerly Maria Noucas) attended Bowdoin College and played her whole career on the women’s basketball team as a point guard. Her teams won three NESCAC conference championships and made four NCAA tournament appearances (two Elite Eights and two Second Round appearances). As a captain her senior year, Williamson earned First Team All-NESCAC honors. She is still ranked in the school's top 10 in career assists, single season assists, career 3-point field goal percentage, single season 3-point field goal percentage, and single season 3-point attempts.

Williamson graduated from Bowdoin in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in sociology. She later earned her master's degree in coaching and leadership from Ohio University in 2013. Williamson lives in Hyde Park with her wife, Erica.