Payton Williams Named Athletic Director

Riverside City College announced the hiring of Payton Williams as the College’s next Athletic Director. Williams will oversee the College’s 19-sport intercollegiate program. He will begin in this new role on January 25, replacing Jim Wooldridge who retired last year after leading RCC’s athletics department for five years.

Williams brings to RCC broad experience. For the past four years, he has served as the Director of Compliance and Academic Support at Azusa Pacific University.  Previously, Williams was the Assistant Director of Academic and Membership Affairs in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national office. He also played in the National and Canadian Football Leagues.

“Payton Williams comes highly recommended to fill the big shoes left behind by former AD Jim Wooldridge,” Vice President of Student Services FeRita Carter said. “I look forward to working with AD Williams to further advance the successes of RCC Athletics.  He inherits a dynamic team of coaches, managers, and support staff, and I am confident that he will lead the charge to take RCC to the next level.” 

At Azusa Pacific, Williams is credited with enhancing academic support for the university’s 450 student-athletes in 19 sports, while overseeing NCAA compliance. He also served as deputy Title IX coordinator and was a member of the Diversity Collaboration Committee. While at the NCAA, Williams did extensive work with two-year college transfer student-athletes to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He also a staunch advocate for the student-athlete experience as a primary liaison for the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Williams cultivated a $1 million grant for four national student-athlete conventions and implemented the Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor of the Year Award to honor the relationship between faculty support and mentorship of student-athletes.

Williams is a native of Riverside who became the first Academic All-American football player at Fresno State University. He went on to compete in the N playing for the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2000 and 2001, and for the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders in 2002. Following his football career, Williams graduated from law school at the University of Minnesota and worked for three years as an attorney in Bakersfield. 

 "I thank everyone in the RCCD for selecting me for this integral role at Riverside City College as director of athletics,” Williams said. “RCC Tiger athletics are known throughout the country as a superior athletic department. As a Riverside native, it is a great honor to lead and serve alongside the excellent athletic coaches, faculty, administrators, and staff to educate and develop RCC's students.”