He didn’t know the answer.
Since the day in 2000 when he was graduated from Brooke High School, Jason Williamson insisted he would return to the school system someday as an educator and a coach.
He wanted to come home. He wanted to be a Bruin. Again.
But when his friends would ask the “What ifs,” his only reply was, “It’ll happen.”
And it sure did. Williamson started his education career in Brooke County in August 2006, and following several years as a health and physical education teacher, he became an elementary school principal, and an assistant high school principal, and then, in 2024, he was named the interim athletic director.
But this summer, the “interim” was removed from the title when Williamson accepted the position as Director of Athletic Programs and Community Outreach.
“It was always my goal to come back to Brooke County Schools and be a part of what we do here,” he explained with a broad smile. “There were people who used to ask me what I would do if there weren’t any openings here in Brooke County, and my only answer was that I would just keep trying. That’s how much Brooke County Schools has meant to me.
“I’ve enjoyed my new position very much and I’m looking forward to scheduling Brooke High back into the kind of schedules we had here when I was a student,” Williamson said. “I know a lot has changed since then, and I know there are schools that prefer to play teams from outside this area, but I’m going to do what I can to keep it as local as I can.”
The new athletic director played for Brooke High’s legendary head football coach Paul “Bud” Billiard, and these days he’s proud while telling stories of the lessons he learned under the OVAC Hall of Famer.
“Along with all of the football, Coach Billiard always stressed to us the importance of being a good student,” Williamson said. “He always believed in setting the example and that’s something I still live by now because I believe it’s important for our student-athletes to realize what’s most important in their lives. We all want to win our football games, but winning in life has to be the primary goal.
“Coach Billiard made a big impact on me and on my teammates when we were playing for him, and I know those same messages remain important to everyone who is involved here at Brooke High,” he said. “Our facilities have always been impressive to me, but now that the upgrades have taken place, our kids have the chance to compete on the best around.”
Bruin Pride
Brooke High offers football, boys and girls soccer, volleyball, boys and girls golf, cross country, and golf, so Williamson has had his hand full since becoming the interim AD about two years ago.
“And Jason has done a great job for us, and he’s well organized,” explained Superintendent Dr. Jeff Crook. “There’s a big learning curve to conquer when you start out as an athletic director, but Jason has tackled the challenges and has been doing a great job. There’s a lot more to it than just scheduling games for our teams and student-athletes.
“There are growing pains, but he’s continued to persevere and he’s moving forward with every aspect,” he said. “I’m confident he’ll always have the most important thing on his mind, and that’s the kids. They are our number one priority in everything we do.”
Another part of Williamson’s job is to monitor which student-athletes are eligible to participate because they have maintained at least a 2.0 grade point average.
“I do believe athletics and academics go hand in hand when it comes to our student-athletes learning what they are going to need to know when they leave us for their next chapter,” Williamson said. “Whether they enter the workforce after high school or head off to college, we hope we’ve done our jobs to prepare them for their next set of challenges, and I believe athletics and academics go hand-in-hand.
“Of course, there are a lot of lessons our students learn in the classroom, but there are a lot of life lessons that are learned on the field, on the court; wherever competition takes place,” he said. “As we prepare for the beginning of a new school year, there’s a lot of excitement about what we can accomplish on and off the field.”
