Standing on a stage over the Texas A&M basketball court, Williams turned and pointed to a spot on the court.

“Acie hit his shot right there,” he said, recounting Acie Law’s memorable 3-point shot to beat Texas at the buzzer in 2006.

After 13 years away from College Station, the one-time Aggie assistant has returned as the team’s head coach. Before a crowd of well over 1,000 people at Reed Arena, the visibly nervous Williams received his maroon blazer to go with a 6-year contract rumored to be in the neighborhood of $4 million per year.

“I apologize if I go a little fast. This has happened really fast and it is really more than a dream come true,” he said.

Williams returns to Aggieland after a remarkable turnaround project at Virginia Tech, taking a team that finished 15th in the ACC with a 2-16 conference record five years ago to the Sweet 16 this year. Even though the effort to recruit Williams to take the job went seamlessly, his formal introduction was anything but. Hoping to walk around the stage and talk, Williams found his cordless microphone wasn’t working. That forced him to return to the podium and do something he doesn’t do much of: stand still.

“Officials say I have a hard time staying in the (coach’s) box, so maybe this will be a good prep,” he said.

Williams told the audience, which included members of his new team, that it was important to him to see them first upon his arrival yesterday. Former players, on the other hand, didn’t even wait for him to land to welcome him back.

“I looked at that picture (of the 2004) team and 10 of those guys had already texted me before we landed in College Station,” he said.

Williams recounted his walk through the corridors of Reed Arena and looking at the basketball teams of past years, including his three seasons under Billy Gillispie. But his highest praise went to another Billy: his predecessor, Billy Kennedy.

“I think coach Kennedy is an incredible coach and did an incredible job,” Williams said. “He’s an even better person.”

While acknowledging that there is a lot of work ahead of him to return A&M to a consistent NCAA Tournament force, Williams said he was happy to be back in College Station just the same.

“I never thought that this was something that would become reality. You always hear the saying that you can’t go home again, but it was always in the back of my mind,” he said. “So to whoever said that, Gig ‘em.”