STARKVILLE, Miss. – Richard Williams is certainly no stranger to Mississippi State, and now his voice will become just as familiar as his successful coaching tactics.
Williams, who amassed then a school record 191 wins from 1987-98 and guided the Bulldogs to the 1996 Final Four, will join the legendary Jim Ellis in the basketball radio booth starting this season.
He replaces Bart Gregory, who is making the transition to the SEC Network after being an analyst the past three seasons.
I am looking forward to being a part of the MSU broadcast and working with the legendary voice of the bulldogs, Jim Ellis,” said Williams, who was 191-163 all-time with MSU. “I appreciate Don Williams (Bulldog Sports Properties GM) and Scott Stricklin for giving me the opportunity for being a part of Mississippi State basketball. Hopefully, I can provide for our fans an insight about the game from a coach’s perspective.”
Since leaving Mississippi State, Williams has spent time at Arkansas State, UAB and various pro teams. He’s also done TV work for various networks.
Gregory, a 1999 MSU graduate, is a veteran of the both the TV and radio booths.
Prior to joining Ellis in the men’s basketball broadcast, he was the play-by-play voice of the Bulldogs during Sharon Fanning’s tenure. He’s also served as an analyst the past three seasons with baseball, including the 2013 squad that played for the national championship.
In addition, he’s co-hosted all of MSU’s football pregame and postgame shows while also doing TV work for various networks.
“I’m extremely excited to be a part of the SEC Network’s role in distributing an extraordinary amount of content of the best league in the country,” he said. “I’m very fortunate to have learned from two great broadcasters in Jack Cristil and Jim Ellis with the Mississippi State Radio Network and I’m very humbled at this great opportunity.
Gregory will start his new responsibilities with the SEC Network this month with coverage of soccer and volleyball.
“We are excited to welcome Richard Williams to our basketball broadcast,” Don Williams said. “His background speaks for itself and his ability to explain the game is outstanding. We are all very excited about this.
“We are sorry to lose Bart from our winter and spring broadcasts, but his opportunity with the SEC network is a great fit for him. We may find a way to work him in to some baseball as time permits. We are certainly excited that he will continue to work with us on football. He and Matt Wyatt form a great team and have built a great following among Bulldog fans with their entertaining and informative pre and post game shows over the past five years.”