Roger Williams is the associate head coach and pitching coach for the University of Louisville baseball program in Louisville, Kentucky, and the 2025 season marked his 20th year overseeing the Cardinals' pitchers and his 12th as associate head coach. Since arriving at Louisville in 2007, he has been part of a run that included six College World Series appearances, 14 NCAA Championship appearances, 10 regular-season conference titles, and two conference tournament championships. His tenure has also coincided with major individual success on the mound and beyond it, including 22 All-Americans, 41 all-conference selections, seven conference pitchers of the year, three conference freshmen of the year, 58 pitchers drafted by Major League Baseball clubs, and 17 Louisville pitchers who reached the major leagues. In 2013, he was recognized nationally as the ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year, and in 2017 Brendan McKay was the national player of the year while anchoring one of Louisville's strongest staffs.
The 2025 season added another postseason milestone. Louisville went 42-24, reached the College World Series, and leaned heavily on its pitching in regional and super regional play. The Cardinals allowed only four earned runs in a three-game regional sweep in Nashville, then gave up three runs across two super regional victories to secure the program's sixth trip to Omaha. Patrick Forbes finished third nationally in strikeouts per nine innings and was selected 29th overall in the first round of the MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Tucker Biven and Justin West were also drafted. In 2024, Louisville used 20 pitchers, including 10 starters, and Evan Webster earned all-conference recognition after moving from relief to the rotation. Patrick Forbes and Tucker Biven went on to the USA Collegiate National Team that summer, and Sebastian Gongora and Kaleb Corbett were drafted. In 2023, the Cardinals ranked among the top 25 nationally in ERA and hits allowed per nine innings, with Carson Liggett posting a 7-2 record and a 3.42 ERA on his way to All-ACC honors, while Tate Kuehner and Ryan Hawks were selected in the draft.
