MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Bert Williams, Georgia Military College’s award-winning junior college athletic director and football coach died Monday from cancer.
“Words can’t express what Bert Williams means to our GMC family,” said Retired Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, college president, in a news release. “Bert’s leadership and impact have been felt by so many over the years. Coach Williams provided hope and opportunity every student-athlete he encountered.”
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Williams, an Augusta native and graduate of Westside High School, began his career at GMC in 1997 as an offensive coordinator and assistant head coach for the Bulldogs. He accumulated a record of 156-58 after being named head football coach and athletic director at GMC in 2000 and led the program to have one of the country’s highest win percentages in NJCAA football.
He led the Bulldogs to 10 NJCAA bowl games, a national championship in 2001, national championship game appearances in 2002 and 2013 and was named national coach of the year several times.
Williams was inducted into the NJCAA Football Hall of Fame in 2010, the first active NJCAA coach to be so honored. He has also served as the NJCAA Football Coaches Association president and the ACCFCA president. Williams was named to the NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame honored Williams with the J.B. Hawkins Humanitarian Award on May 22.
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He retired in November 2020 after 23 years.
In a May article in The Augusta Press, Williams said he enjoyed football, but more importantly he enjoyed interacting with the students and making an impact on their lives.
“I think it’s the look on their face when they figure it all out, or a phone call four or five years down the road and a young man or woman says ‘I didn’t really understand everything you were trying to tell me or all those lessons you were trying to teach us; they finally sank in,’” he said.
Caldwell said Williams will be missed.
“His love and commitment to GMC was felt by all,” Caldwell said. “He leaves behind a great legacy at Georgia Military College, and it’s one that we will always honor and remember. We will continue to pray for Bert’s wife Cathy who is a GMC Prep School teacher, his son Parker who is a GMC JC offensive line football coach, and son Zach.”
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