Payton Williams has been named the Athletic Director for Riverside City College, RCC President Dr. Gregory Anderson announced on Wednesday. Williams has served as the Director of Compliance & Academic Support for Azusa Pacific for the past four years.
 
"Payton has been a tremendous member of our department over the past four years," said Azusa Pacific Director of Athletics Gary Pine, "On a daily basis, he carried himself with God-honoring excellence in all that he did, as a professional, mentor, father, and friend. While we will miss him here at Azusa Pacific, I could not be more excited for Payton as he takes another big step in his career serving in collegiate athletics. He is going to do great things at RCC."
 
During his time at Azusa Pacific, Williams was responsible for working with the NCAA Eligibility Center while overseeing student-athlete eligibility certification and the institutional letter of intent program for student-athletes. He also led Azusa Pacific's rules education program and oversaw the academic support program for student-athletes, and served as deputy Title IX coordinator and was a member of the Diversity Collaboration Committee at the university.

"It has been an absolute joy to serve at Azusa Pacific amongst gifted student-athletes, coaches and staff," said Williams, "To be a part of the continued tradition of success in Cougar Athletics was a blessing beyond measure. Every person on campus that I have engaged with, from administration, to faculty and staff, have been wonderful to partner with creating a great environment for our students to learn and grow."

Williams joined Cougar Athletics from the NCAA national office in Indianapolis, where he worked at the association's headquarters since 2009, most recently as the NCAA Assistant Director of Academic and Membership Affairs. In that role, he served as a primary liaison for the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, while also supporting the Division II Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. He was also involved with the Division II Academic and Membership Affairs interpretive staff.

Williams, a native of Southern California, was an Academic All-American football player at Fresno State. He graduated in 2000 and went on to play three years of professional football, spending the 2000 and 2001 seasons in the National Football League with the Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers, and he played for the Canadian Football League's Calgary Stampeders in 2002.

As a student-athlete, Williams participated in the 1999 NCAA Leadership Conference, and he was a graduate of the 2016 NCAA Leadership Institute. Prior to his work with the NCAA national office, Williams graduated from law school at the University of Minnesota (2006) and worked for three years as an associate attorney in Bakersfield.

In his new role at Riverside City College, Williams will lead a department which offers 22 sports. "I look forward to partnering with our stakeholders on campus and in the community to ensure the best experience for our student-athletes and to build upon the powerful tradition of Tiger athletic excellence," said Williams.