Former Tennessee basketball star Grant Williams is making $1.5 million donation to the university, Tennessee announced Thursday. Williams is donating $750,000 to the men’s basketball program, $500,00 to an endowment for a Haslam Business School Scholarship and $250,000 to the softball program.
“Rocky Top truly is home sweet home to me,” Williams said in statement. “It is a privilege and an honor to be able to give back to the university that did so much for me and helped me become the man I am today. I will forever be grateful to Rick Barnes for his mentorship and coaching, to Karen and Ralph Weekly for their constant support and to my many wonderful professors for their time and care. I’m thrilled to be able to positively impact the next generation of Tennessee students who will learn from such incredible role models.”
The donation to the basketball program and business school are rather obvious. Williams was a star for the Vols’ from 2017-19 and graduated from the Haslam Business School. During his time at Tennessee, Williams often attended and supported other athletic teams on campus and is now dating former Tennessee softball star Kiki Milloy.
“Grant’s philanthropic gift is a profound statement about the total student-athlete experience here at the University of Tennessee,” Tennessee Director of Athletics Danny White said in a statement. “His generosity not only supports the sport he played but also benefits our softball program and the University as a whole. He has consistently demonstrated leadership in all his endeavors, and we are grateful for his ongoing commitment to giving his all for Tennessee!”
Grant giving back 🧡
VFL Grant Williams has announced a gift of $1.5 million to the University of Tennessee.
The gift benefits the men’s basketball program as well as @vol_softball, while also establishing a scholarship endowment on the @UTKnoxville campus.
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) September 18, 2025
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Williams played a major role in helping get Rick Barnes’ program off the ground at Tennessee. He twice earned SEC Player of the Year honors and was a Unanimous First Team All-American as a junior, helping lead Tennessee to its second ever No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll and to the Sweet 16. Tennessee earned a share of the SEC Regular-Season Championship in Williams’ sophomore year.
During his All-American junior season, Williams averaged 18.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists on an efficient 58% shooting from the field.
Williams declared for the NBA Draft following his junior season and the Boston Celtics drafted him with the No. 22 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. He played his first four professional seasons with the Celtics before signing with the Dallas Mavericks in the free agency. Dallas traded him to his hometown Charlotte in his first season with the team and Williams has now spent a season and a half with the Hornets.
The former three-star recruit’s 2024-25 season ended early after he tore his ACL just 16 games into the season. Williams is looking to return to form with Charlotte this season, his seventh in the NBA.
Williams often returns to Tennessee’s campus for both football and men’s basketball games. He was back just two weeks ago for Vol football’s 2025 home opener against ETSU. He was also helpful in Tennessee’s recruitment of five-star offensive tackle David Sanders who attended the same high school as Williams— the Providence Day School.
It’s a true privilege to be able to give back to my alma mater — the place that allowed me to become the man I am today. pic.twitter.com/COJZb9MK7s
— Grant Williams (@Grant2Will) September 18, 2025
