EDITORIAL: Thank you, Coach Williams

Published 11:00 am Saturday, November 7, 2020

Bert Williams recently announced his retirement from Georgia Military College as both head football coach and athletic director. 

While he may be absent on the field, his impact is far-reaching and the accolades are expansive. 

Williams leaves with a 156-58 record and one of the nation’s highest win percentages in junior college football. His accolades are numerous. He was inducted into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2010 and has four National Coach of the Year honors. In his 23 years at the helm of the GMC football program, he led the Bulldogs to 10 NJCAA bowl games and a national championship in 2001. 

His work helped build GMC football into a consistently elite and nationally-recognized junior college program.

As GMC’s athletic director, he has been at the helm during the growth and expansion of several GMC athletic programs as well as the growth of GMC athletic facilities. During his tenure as AD, the department has added men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball and a rifle team as well as national titles in other sports beyond football.

The number of student-athletes that Bert Williams has impacted both on and off the field is far too numerous to count. 

Reflecting on his retirement, Williams said this week that his proudest achievement during his career has been off the field. 

Said Williams: “The No. 1 thing I really get the biggest kick out of is seeing our guys go on and do well. I don’t necessarily mean NFL and major college football. We’ve had plenty do that, and I’m very proud of them, but there are so many of our young men that break the cycle. They come up in a tough way, maybe without a father figure … but they break the cycle and become great husbands, fathers and members of their community out there making a difference. That means more to me than anything in all honesty just to think that maybe I had a little bit to do with that in helping them figure things out and get them on their way.”

That’s quite an impactful achievement. 

Thank you, Coach Williams, for your impact on young people, and for the lasting legacy on junior college athletics you leave behind. Thank you for your time and dedication and for the success you have brought to the GMC football program. 

As he continues his fight against cancer, we wish Coach Williams all the best in health, wellness and prosperity in the future.

Thank you also for the student-athletes you have helped mold into young men and women who have made a mark on this community.