The University of California, Merced Athletics Department appointed Payton Williams as its Associate Director in July of 2023.
"I want to thank UC Merced Chancellor Juan Sánchez Muñoz, Vice Chancellor Charles Nies, Executive Director of Recreation & Athletics David Dunham, and the hiring committee for this tremendous opportunity to serve as Associate Director of UC Merced Bobcat Athletics," Williams said. "I am excited to help our Bobcat scholar-athletes earn a UC Merced degree that provides for a multi-generational change in their lives, but to also support our department and university in building champions on the field and leaders and difference makers for the world. I also look forward to partnering with our stakeholders on campus and in the wonderful Merced community and the greater Central Valley to provide an exceptional scholar athlete experience."
Williams comes to UC Merced with 14 years of experience in collegiate athletics, both at the institutional and national levels. He served as the Athletic Director at Riverside City College for the last two and a half years and the Director of Compliance and Academic Support at Azuza Pacific University from 2017-2021. Prior to serving at the institutional level, Williams was the Assistant Director of Academic and Membership Affairs for the NCAA from 2009-2017.
His primary duties with UC Merced will be compliance, sport supervision and overall administration.
"We are excited to have Payton join our program," Dunham said. "He brings a wealth of experience at all levels of intercollegiate athletics which will help us continue to grow and move our program forward."
At Riverside City College, Williams was responsible for 19 intercollegiate men's and women's sports and over 600 student athletes, coaches, and athletics personnel. Among many highlights during his time in Riverside, the Tigers finished eighth in the nation for Learfield Director's Cup (non-scholarship, two-year colleges), with the student athletes maintaining a 3.0 average cumulative GPA with over 170 associate's degree and certificates issued during the 2021-22 academic year. Williams also partnered with stakeholders for a special project facility renovation and was responsible for department budget and fiscal controls, program reviews, and institutional policies.
Williams served on the CCCAA Gender Equity and Inclusion Committee, had administrator oversight of Orange Empire Conference cross country/track & field, and returned Riverside City College to competition following COVID-19.
At Azuza Pacific University, Williams was a senior-level administrator providing strategic leadership and direction in the areas of academic performance, compliance, and campus integration. He was the leader of rules education programming for institutional staff regarding NCAA, conference, and institutional compliance. He was also responsible for initial and continuing academic eligibility for APU's student athletes.
Prior to his time at APU, Williams served at the NCAA office and assisted NCAA membership regarding legislation and interpretations. Additionally, he created educational initiatives, served as a liaison to national committees, and attended workshops and seminars representing the NCAA and Academic and Membership Affairs.
Williams' career in collegiate athletics began as a football student athlete at Fresno State University where he was named Fresno State Scholar Athlete of the Year (1999), GTE/NCAA Academic All-American (1999), and NAACP Image Award winner. Williams was a professional football player in the National Football League and Canadian Football league from 2000-2003.
Williams earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Fresno State University in 2000 and earned his Juris Doctorate from University of Minnesota Law School in 2006.
Williams is married to his wife Kimberly Williams, M.A. and has three children, Sydney, 20, who is a ballerina with the Boston Ballet; Briana, 19, a sophomore softball player at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and Payton Jr, 15, a high school sophomore.
