"I am really proud of what I set up in Te Puna. I am sure someone is going to absolutely love and cherish coming in and resuming that academy in due course," he said.
"I want to thank the cricket community and all the parents who have supported me over the years at the academy. The international cricketers who have stayed over the summer have been good for Bay cricket too, topping up club teams throughout the competition.
"The role at St Kentigern enables me to still run the Ben Williams Academy so the offer is too good to be true. The facilities are just unbelievable, with three grass wicket blocks for me to use and an indoor centre complementing now. It is a dream come true facility-wise."
Williams has arranged scholarships to St Kentigern College for Tim Pringle and Taylor Bettelheim, two of the best young cricketers he has worked with since Kane Williamson and Trent Boult.
"I am sure there will be disappointment locally but they have been coming to my academy day in, day out, for four years so it is about our relationship continuing. Those relationships are similar to Kane when he was a young fella of 10 or 11," Williams said.
"You spend all that time together so it is a shame to end it. They could have come up in the school holidays but that didn't really cut the mustard. At St Kentigern, they are allowing their cricketing boys who are showing promise, like Tim and Taylor, to plan it into their daily curriculum. It is a wonderful opportunity for them not just for cricket but for their education.
"I can actually coach them during school time and on Saturdays, so my hands-on time with the boys can be a lot more significant."
Pringle, 13 this month, and Bettelheim, 14, are regarded as tremendous prospects for the future.
Last summer playing for Otumoetai Intermediate, Pringle broke Williamson's run scoring record in the Northern Districts ActivePost Cup competition, while Bettelheim made headlines a year earlier when he scored successive centuries for Tauranga Intermediate in the same competition.
Williams says they are exceptional for their age at being able to execute their skills under pressure.
"With the exercises I put them through in the nets to develop the mental side of their games, they showed that special element that they can do it with both bat and ball. They are both very sound technically for their age but it is more the mental side of their game that I can take confidence in, that will transition into performances as they start physically maturing.
"I am really excited to be part of their journey."
The Pringle and Bettelheim families fully support their sons moving to Auckland to continue training with Williams.
Former Black Cap Chris Pringle says Tim has an unquestionable thirst for the game that has been nurtured by Williams.
"Ben's involvement has been massive. He has been brilliant from the technical point of view, as a mentor, and someone who Tim looks up to," Pringle said.
"It is great continuity for Tim and Taylor that he is involved at St Kent's. We never looked at boarding school before but this is the greatest opportunity a kid could have."
Gary Bettelheim says the decision to send Taylor to St Kentigern's was not made lightly.
"Ben opened the door for us and the opportunity which we could not afford to turn down for Taylor. We weren't dismayed about his future cricketing prospects in Tauranga but the facilities and opportunity were too good."
