Eric Williams Jr. competed on Eastern’s blue track during his senior year of high school. Little did he know, he would end up back at Eastern not just to get his degree but to also have a full-time job in athletics as a strength and conditioning coach.  

“I never would’ve thought that I would be back here going to school, so it was kind of a full circle moment,” Williams Jr. said.  

Williams Jr. transferred to Eastern from Saint Xavier University in Chicago, wanting to play football ,but because of eligibility not working out for him, making him sit out for a year, he decided to focus on school and figure out what to do outside of playing sports.  

Although he didn’t know anyone when he arrived in Charleston, Williams Jr. was quick to start interning under strength and conditioning coaches.  

“I never really knew anything about strength and conditioning,” Williams Jr. said. “I always worked out and played sports, so I knew about that, but I got the opportunity to intern with football around 2020, and that was amazing.”  

Within his first week of interning, Williams Jr. said he knew this was something he had wanted to do for a long time.  

Flash forward to February 2024 after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in exercise science and getting ready to obtain his master’s degree in sports administration, Williams Jr. found out the opportunity to be the head strength and conditioning coach was opening.  

“I went into the interview, and I already made a name for myself here already, which has been high,” Williams Jr. said.  

On May 2, 2024, Williams Jr. was officially named the primary strength and conditioning coach for the men’s basketball team, but he works with more teams throughout the year.  

Along with men’s basketball, Williams Jr. works with the swimming, tennis and women’s soccer teams as their main strength and conditioning coach.  

Most of his time goes to men’s basketball and helping them prevent injuries and continuing to maintain their health throughout the season.  

Williams Jr. is at every men’s basketball practice and warms the team up before every practice. This can mean anything from formulating lifts before their practices to making sure they’re stretched out before they start running plays.  

But the job of a strength and conditioning coach isn’t necessarily just making schedules for lifts. It’s also adjusting to how the athletes respond based off what they already do in practice.  

“I’m at practice to see what they’re doing,” Williams Jr. said. “I know that helps me decide how they’re training with me.”  

Let’s say the team did a lot of running and jumping throughout practice.  

If Williams Jr. already had them programmed prior to practice to do more jumping after, he’ll change what the guys will do after practice because he doesn’t want to add extra stress on them.  

“I may take the load off; I may have them do something different because I don’t want to add stressors to their practice already,” Williams Jr. said.  

Williams Jr. said his main goal is to help the team maintain the strength they’ve gained throughout the offseason and preseason.  

One person Williams Jr. has helped significantly through an injury is senior guard Corey Sawyer Jr. after he tore his meniscus in the summer.  

Sawyer Jr. said Williams Jr. was a big help in his recovery process.  

“He was one of the only guys that was here when I was alone throughout the summer,” Sawyer Jr. said. “He was also a good person to be around and talk to about the situation. He was super understanding during my situation and my injury, and he helped me get back to where I was before I got hurt.”  

Before he got injured, Sawyer Jr. went back home to Orlando, Florida, for the summer. While he was back at home, he texted Williams Jr. to ask for workouts that are specific to what Sawyer Jr. wanted to improve on.  

“He created personal lifts for me while I was at home,” Sawyer Jr. said. “Even when you’re not here at home, he still wants to take care of you and make sure you’re the best you can be.”  

Williams Jr. doesn’t just stop his job as just a coach. He wants the team to see him as a mentor and someone they can go to for anything.  

“It’s not always about weight training,” Williams Jr. said. “I actually am personable with my athletes, so I’ll ask them how they’re doing, what’s going on in classes. So, being a mentor in that way but also making sure they reach their goals in the weight room.”  

Williams Jr. said he wants the athletes to reach their potential on the court and see their progress in the weight room show on the court.  

“Coach E [Williams Jr.], that’s my dawg,” senior guard NaKyel Shelton said. “I would say the most important thing about coach E is how passionate he is and how he wants to see everyone succeed. He’s very detailed on getting guys stronger and keeping guys from having injury.”  

Redshirt junior guard Obadiah Curtis said Williams Jr. Has “super contagious energy” and he cares about the guys as more than just athletes.  

“Best of all, he cares about us on a personal level,” Curtis said. “He’s like a brother to us. In times in need, he’s there for us. He wears a lot of different hats. He’s there for strength and conditioning, to talk about mental stuff and me and E have been on a few hikes.”  

Sawyer Jr. said Williams Jr. understands what the team goes through during the season, and he makes sure the team maintains their strength throughout the season.  

“He pretty much customizes what we need during the year,” Sawyer Jr. said. “When we’re in the offseason, he’s wanting us to build muscle, and during the season, he works with us to maintain strength and making sure we’re all healthy and preventing injuries.”  

Both Sawyer Jr. and Shelton have been with the program for two years, and they know that Williams Jr. comes in everyday with a lot of energy and a positive mindset.  

“He comes in with a great mindset every day, ready to attack the day, and trying to see ways we can improve from the day before, trying to push us to be better each and every day,” Shelton said.  

Curtis enjoys the energy Williams Jr. brings to the team, and he thinks Williams Jr. will go far in the future.  

“I feel like he’s one of the best up and coming strength and conditioning coaches at 25 years young,” Curtis said. “He’s got a bright future.” 

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.edu.