Bert Williams dedicated more than 20 years to building the athletics’ program at Georgia Military College. After an early retirement in November 2020 due to a cancer diagnosis, he’s being honored by the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame with the J.B. Hawkins Humanitarian Award in a ceremony in Macon Saturday, May 22.
Williams finished his coaching career with a 156-58 record and a National Junior College Athletic Association national championship win. He was a three-time national coach of the year and was the first active head coach to be inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2010. As the athletic director emeritus at GMC, he oversaw substantial growth in adding several sports’ departments to GMC over his tenure.
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He said it’s an honor to be recognized at the same time as Georgia sports greats like announcer Tony Barnhart, former University of Georgia football coach Ray Lamb, former Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine and former Atlanta Braves and Atlanta Falcons’ player Brian Jordan, who are among the class of 2021 who are being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“I’ve known Ray since 1991 or 1992. The opportunity to be there and talk with those guys is special,” Williams said. “I look forward to seeing some of the greats like Tom Glavine and Brian Jordan. It’s a neat event to be around. A lot of those people you’ve gone to games to watch or seen them on TV. It’s unique.”
The J.B. Hawkins Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a Georgian who has distinguished himself or herself through significant and meaningful contributions to youth sports in the state of Georgia, per a news release.
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Williams likely would still have more of an active role in guiding GMC’s athletics program, but he’s focusing on his health at this stage of his life.
“You gotta do what you gotta do for your health and to take care of your family,” said Williams. “It’s been a long, tough road recovering from a bone marrow transplant. I had a good run at GMC, and I’m just thankful I was able to impact so many lives.”
Williams said one thing has impacted him more than anything else over the past few decades.
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“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.
Williams said his number one goal was to make a difference in the young people at GMC.
“Of course, winning all those games and playing in championships certainly helps,” Williams said. “It helps in teaching lessons when your kids are excited about winning and having success and all that but making a difference in the kids is what really drove me.”
Tyler Strong is the Business Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach him at tyler@theaugustapress.com.
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