Bill Ferrara - Assistant Coach - Staff Directory - University of Tennessee Athletics

Staff Directory

Bill Ferrara

Title:
Assistant Coach
Year As Assistant:
20th
Year At Tennessee:
1st
Alma Mater (Year):
Florida (2003)

Veteran women’s basketball assistant Bill Ferrara was officially announced by Kim Caldwell on March 31, 2026, as the newest member of the Lady Vol coaching staff. He possesses 19 years of full-time college coaching experience, including six at the Power Four level.

“I am pleased to welcome Bill to our staff,” Caldwell said. “He has played an instrumental role in Florida State’s high-scoring offense and three-point shooting over the past four seasons. We look forward to adding his technical knowledge, experience and recruiting abilities to our program.”

Ferrara became the associate head coach of the Florida State women's basketball program ahead of the 2022-23 season and helped lead the Seminoles to three seasons of 23+ wins and NCAA appearances in three of his four years there. His input played a key role in FSU’s scoring averages and three-point shooting metrics ranking among the nation’s best during that time.

“I am thrilled to join Kim Caldwell’s staff at Tennessee and excited to be part of a program with such a rich history,” Ferrara said. “I look forward to bringing my energy and experience to the Lady Vols. Kim’s incredibly-successful 10-year track record as a head coach speaks for itself, and I’m ready to get to work in recruiting and can’t wait to get on the floor with the most storied program in women’s basketball.”

Tasked with running the fast-paced offense in Brooke Wyckoff's system, Ferrara helped the Seminoles lead the nation in scoring at 86.9 points per game in 2024-25. FSU broke the 100-point barrier seven times and produced the nation's leading scorer in Ta'Niya Latson (25.9 PPG).

In his second season with the Seminoles in 2023-24, he enjoyed another standout year as the team's offensive guru. His body of work was recognized on Jan. 29, 2024, when he was named as one of the nation's “most-ready assistant coaches” to become a head coach by The Athletic.

For the second consecutive regular season, both under Ferrara's watch, the Seminoles led the ACC in scoring during the regular season in 2023-24. FSU finished the year averaging 78.5 points - a top 20 offensive mark nationally.

Ferrara helped make FSU's offense especially innovative from beyond the arc. The Seminoles set a program record with 232 made 3-point field goals in his first season. In year number two, FSU extended its own record with 241 made threes during the 2023-24 year. In 2024-25, the Seminoles once again set a school best, sinking 286, while they made a No. 2-ranked total of 243 in 2025-26.

In 2024-25, Ta'Niya Latson, Makayla Timpson and O'Mariah Gordon captured All-ACC First Team honors, marking the first time since 2013 three Seminoles earned the honor.

Ferrara's offense ingenuity led to a couple FSU players earning big-time accolades, as Latson was crowned the consensus National Freshman of the Year while Timpson was selected to the All-ACC Second Team in 2022-23.

Ferrara also possesses prior experience at several stops. Among them, Central Michigan, Hofstra, George Washington, Florida, New Mexico and St. John’s.

The native of Brooklyn, N.Y., has assumed a wide variety of roles at each university where he has served, also holding the title of associate head coach at St. John’s. While at SJU, Ferrara guided the offense to an increase of +14 points per game during the 2021-22 season, with the Red Storm finishing in the top 50 in nearly every offensive category. His area of focus was on the team’s offense along with special situations and post play.

Prior to stint at St. John’s, Ferrara spent four seasons with New Mexico (2017-21) and helped guide the Lobos to an impressive 79-40 record with back-to-back 20-win seasons. Ferrara was in charge of post play as an assistant coach at UNM, where he helped Jaisa Nunn to the 2018-19 Mountain West Player of the Year award and two All-Mountain West selections. In his final season with New Mexico, the Lobos emerged as Mountain West regular season champions during the 2020-21 season.

From 2015-17, Ferrara made an impact on Florida’s program. The Gators earned a No. 5 seed in the 2016 NCAA Tournament with Ferrara on the bench, and was an integral part of Florida’s offense, when it led the SEC in scoring during that 2015-16 campaign.

Ferrara served a multitude of roles at George Washington from 2013-15, helping with recruiting, strength and conditioning, and post play as well as player development. The Colonials had a signature 29-4 record during the 2014-15 season, capped with a No. 6 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Jonquel Jones, the 2021 WNBA MVP from the Connecticut Sun, was coached by Ferrara during their time with George Washington from 2013-15.

Prior to that, Ferrara was the recruiting and offensive coordinator at Hofstra from 2010-13. His offense earned top 20 marks nationally in 2010-11 (19th) and 2011-12 (12th). He also served stints as an assistant coach at Central Michigan (2007-10), video coordinator at Auburn (2006-07) and basketball operations intern with the Charlotte Bobcats NBA summer league team.

Ferrara is a graduate of the University of Florida, earning a B.S. degree in business management in 2003 and an M.S. degree in exercise and sport science in 2005.