Dennis Williams (ice hockey)

Williams was hired as the head coach of the NAHL's Amarillo Bulls ahead of the 2010–2011 season. In 4 years in Amarillo, Williams amassed 168 wins in 238 games behind the bench, highlighted by a 2013 Robertson Cup Championship.

In his next stop, Williams was the head coach for the USHL's Bloomington Thunder, beginning with the 2014–2015 season. He coached multiple NHL draft picks and players during this time, and won 90 games in 3 seasons, including a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2016.

Williams was hired as the head coach for the WHL's Everett Silvertips ahead of the 2017–2018 season. In 7 seasons at Everett, Williams totaled 282 wins, 4 U.S. division titles, 3 conference regular season titles, and one western conference championship. He was promoted to the dual role of head coach and general manager in July 2021. Additionally while at Everett, Williams also had stints with the Canadian national team at the World Juniors, winning a gold medal as an assistant in 2022 and as the head coach in 2023. He was a 2x Western Conference Coach of the Year, there were 11 NHL draftees that came through his program, and 16 players signed pro contracts at the NHL or AHL level.

On March 27, 2024, Williams was named the next head coach at Bowling Green State University - a place where he played 4 years of hockey, had earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree, had worked as an assistant coach, and had been the interim head coach for a year when he was 29 years old. In his first year on campus, Williams increased the Falcons’ win total from the year before by 5. He also helped the Falcons win a playoff series for the first time in 5 seasons, sweeping the rival Michigan Tech Huskies from the Mason Cup playoffs before falling in the semifinals a week later. Ryan O’Hara and Brody Waters both were named 2nd-Team All-CCHA forwards for their efforts under Williams in his first year with the Falcons.

His 2nd season back in Bowling Green came with a completely different cast of characters. There were 14 new players, good for more than half of the roster, and he brought in the #1 ranked recruiting class in the country, a level of recruiting not seen in nearly 40 years at BGSU. Due to their youth, they started a bit slow, but they really rounded into form as the calendar turned to 2026, including a home win against Ohio State and a road sweep at Michigan Tech to end the regular season. The Falcons had D Brayden Crampton named to the CCHA All-Rookie team, and D Breck McKinley was named 2nd team All-CCHA. Also of note, the Falcons finished 2nd in the entire country in faceoff win percentage, an area of focus for Williams and his staff.

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