Williams pleased after interview with Rockies

DENVER -- D-backs third-base coach Matt Williams left Denver on Monday after having enjoyed his interview for the Rockies' managerial job with owner and CEO Dick Monfort, general manager Dan O'Dowd and senior vice president of baseball operations Bill Geivett.

Williams was the last of the four candidates to formally interview with the Rockies in their quest to replace Jim Tracy, who resigned on Oct. 7. Tom Runnells, bench coach under Tracy, met with the club shortly after Tracy's resignation. Walt Weiss, head coach at Regis Jesuit High in the Denver area and a former adviser and instructor with the club, and Jason Giambi, a veteran first baseman who is a free agent but will retire if offered a chance to manage, met with the club on Friday.

There is no set timetable for a decision, but it could come as early as this week, a Major League source told MLB.com.

Williams is managing the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, a club featuring Rockies prospects. He has communicated previously with Geivett about Rockies players and emerged as a managerial candidate heading into his formal interview Monday.

"It was a pleasure to speak with Dan, Dick and 'Geivo' again," Williams said. "I really enjoyed the process of the interview. We talked baseball, I tried to answer their questions and get an idea of what they're looking for, then we left it at they're going to talk internally and be in touch either way. It was a good, very enlightening experience."

It was the first Major League managerial interview for Williams, a standout third baseman in the Majors (1987-2003). Williams was interim manager at Double-A Mobile in 2007 after Brett Butler suffered a stroke. He also managed in the AFL for part of the 2007 season, when the team's manager, Chip Hale, was coaching with the D-backs in the playoffs. Williams worked as a D-backs broadcaster from 2005-09 before becoming first-base coach in 2010 and third-base coach in 2011 and 2012.