Southern University head softball coach Brittney Williams enters her sixth season on the Bluff after leading the Lady Jaguars through the most successful stretch in program history.
The 2026 Lady Jaguars delivered a historic campaign, posting a program-record 37 wins while advancing to the SWAC Softball Championship game for the first time since 2009. Southern also finished the season with the second-highest RPI ever recorded by a SWAC softball program.
Under Williams’ leadership, the Lady Jaguars developed into one of the conference’s most complete teams. Southern finished the season with the SWAC’s second-lowest team ERA (3.17) while also ranking second in the league in home runs (37). Nationally, the Lady Jaguars ranked third in stolen bases (136) and sixth in triples, showcasing a dynamic offense built on both speed and power.
A major catalyst behind Southern’s success was sophomore pitcher Aaliya Zabala, who emerged as one of the top arms in the nation. Zabala led the SWAC in wins (18) and shutouts (5) while posting the conference’s second-lowest ERA at 1.77. All three categories ranked among the nation’s top 50, including a No. 16 national ranking in ERA. She also authored a 24.2-inning scoreless streak, the second-longest active streak in the country during the season.
Sophomore outfielder Laila Clark powered Southern offensively, leading the team in nearly every major category. Her .428 batting average ranked 52nd nationally, while her 21 stolen bases and .737 slugging percentage both ranked inside the nation’s top 100. In SWAC play, Clark’s nine home runs tied for the third-most in the conference.
Clark also put together one of the nation’s most impressive stretches at the plate, recording 12 consecutive games with both a hit and an RBI from Feb. 22 through March 20, the second-longest streak in the country during the season. The Addis native added 17 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI performances. Defensively, she became one of the premier outfielders in the nation, recording 15 assists, including nine rare 9-3 putouts, both the highest totals by an outfielder this season.
Williams guided Southern to a breakthrough season in 2025, leading the Lady Jaguars to 22 wins — the program’s highest total since 2008. Southern also earned its second consecutive berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament and its third postseason appearance under Williams.
In 2024, the Lady Jaguars finished 16-27 overall and 12-12 in SWAC play, continuing the program’s upward trajectory while once again earning a conference tournament appearance.
The 2023 season opened on the national stage at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic in Clearwater, Florida, where Southern faced Illinois, Louisville, No. 17 Kentucky, and St. John’s. The matchup against Illinois carried special significance, as the Fighting Illini are coached by Williams’ sister, Tyra Perry. Southern’s contest against Kentucky marked just the fifth time in program history the Lady Jaguars faced a nationally ranked opponent and the first against a ranked team from outside Louisiana.
In her first season at Southern, Williams led the Lady Jaguars to a 16-34 overall record and an 11-13 mark in SWAC play. The 11 conference victories were the program’s most since 2010, and Southern advanced to the SWAC Tournament quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.
Prior to arriving at Southern, Williams spent two seasons as head coach at East Ascension High School after serving three years at Zachary High School, where she helped guide the program to two state championship game appearances.
Williams comes from a decorated athletic family. Her sisters were student-athletes at Louisiana State University, while her brother competed at Belhaven University. Her eldest sister, Tyra Perry, currently serves as head coach at University of Illinois. Both of Williams’ parents are also graduates of Southern University.
A two-time graduate of Western Kentucky University, Williams earned degrees in 2009 and 2013 while serving as a four-year letterwinner for the Hilltoppers softball program. She was named an Academic All-American and earned WKU’s Outstanding Graduate Student honor.
A Baton Rouge native, Williams graduated as valedictorian and senior class president at Northeast High School in 2006. She is married to Tasmin Williams, a homebound teacher for East Baton Rouge Parish Schools, and together they have three children: Marlee, Tia, and Tasmin Williams II.
