04/20/2026
From Alabama to Holly Ridge: Brandon Williams’ Journey Through Education, Sports, and Opportunity
Some stories aren’t built on one single path, they’re shaped over time through opportunities, passions, and a willingness to try something new. That’s the story of Brandon Williams.
Today, Brandon is in his third year at Holly Ridge Middle School, where he serves as the Alternative Learning Center Coordinator. In total, he has spent eleven years as an educator, working to make a positive impact on students both inside and outside the classroom.
Before Holly Ridge, Brandon spent seven years at Fuquay-Varina Middle School, where he taught special education and math for one year. He also taught physical education and coached basketball, something he particularly enjoyed at the middle school level, where fundamentals are built and confidence begins to grow. For his last six years, he was in the Career and Technical Education department where he taught students typing, career exploration, computer science, Microsoft Word applications, and other real-world skills.
Brandon and his family moved to North Carolina in 2015 after his wife accepted a job in the Cary area. Around that same time, Brandon was hired at Fuquay-Varina Middle School. He was looking for a new field, one where he could positively impact children and education proved to be the right fit.
While at Fuquay-Varina Middle School, Brandon embraced coaching, enjoying the opportunity to teach younger athletes not only how to play the game, but how to work together and grow. His connection to the sport continues today, as he now serves as a basketball referee.
But Brandon’s journey extends well beyond the classroom and the court. In 2014, he started a blog that focused heavily on sports. That passion soon opened new doors, including an opportunity to work with a football magazine that covered Alabama football. Brandon worked on the digital side, helping grow the company’s online presence and gaining valuable experience in sports marketing.
Then came an opportunity few people ever experience. In 2018, Brandon’s tweets were noticed by LaVar Ball. That connection led to Brandon helping launch the JBA League, where he served as Director of Marketing. The league gave high school and junior college players the opportunity to play professionally right away. This league was the first of its kind and served as an early example of alternative paths for young athletes. Although the league lasted just one season, the experience proved invaluable. Brandon later wrote a book about his experience helping launch and market the league.
From there, Brandon continued building. He helped start Ball Exclusives with a small group of writers, initially focusing on NBA content before expanding into broader sports coverage.
Brandon developed a business plan, secured seed funding, and began building the platform. Today, Ball Exclusives has grown to include thousands of readers, along with a page approaching 200,000 followers. He now works with a team that includes graphic designers and social media support, continuing to expand both the brand and its reach.
Brandon has invested significant time building Ball Exclusives through social media, and now he’s shifting more focus toward growing the website itself. His long-term vision is ambitious, to eventually build the platform into something comparable to Bleacher Report.
Through it all, Brandon Williams has stayed focused on what matters most, helping students, supporting athletes, and creating opportunities. And while Brandon has accomplished so much, in many ways, he is just getting started.
Originally published in “This Week in the Quay”
Ball Exclusives
