Joe Williams, who coached Artis Gilmore and junior Jacksonville College within the 1970 NCAA Championship recreation in opposition to the mighty UCLA, died Saturday. He was 88 years outdated.
His son Joe Williams Jr. mentioned Williams, who additionally educated at Foreman and Florida, died in Enterprise, Mississippi, whereas in hospice care after an extended battle with most cancers.
The Dolphins had been one of many true Cinderella groups within the historical past of the NCAA Championship. Led by 7-foot-2 Gilmore and no-order to start out the season, they beat Western Kentucky, Iowa, Kentucky and St. Bonaventure on their solution to the championship recreation. They scored over 100 factors 18 occasions that season, together with thrice within the championship.
Within the closing, they confronted the Bruins’ mid-dynasty coach John Wood. UCLA gained 80-69 for its fourth consecutive nationwide championship and sixth in seven years.
Williams was an assistant coach at Foreman when he took over the Jacksonville program in 1964, and the college performed for the NAIA for one more season earlier than transferring to the NCAA, the place it shortly rose to prominence.
Gilmore performed his first two seasons in school prep earlier than signing with Williams and Jacksonville.
Williams’ son mentioned he was keen to recruit black gamers to Southern faculties when many coaches nonetheless refused to take action, defending them in hostile environments down the highway.
“He was one of many first coaches within the South to try this. When my dad travels with the group, if there is a restaurant that does not permit the entire group to eat collectively, my dad packs up the entire group they usually go to Joe Williams, Jr.,” mentioned Joe Williams, Jr.
“My dad was by no means the one to take a seat on the soapbox speaking about issues like that, he at all times does the proper factor… He’s been by way of so much. He obtained dying threats within the mail. However he simply realized all his gamers are equal and wish to deal with them as equals. It was simply It is about educating his gamers how you can be a great human being.”
Son mentioned Williams, the son and brother of Methodist ministers, obtained into the coaching by chance. He was a highschool English instructor in Jacksonville when somebody realized that the tall man within the lanes had performed school basketball and requested him if he needed to assist the coach.
“He realized that was his ardour and that is what he needed to do,” mentioned Joe Williams Jr.
Williams left Jacksonville after the title match look to return to Foreman the place he coached till 1978 earlier than heading to Florida State. He completed with a report 336-231 over 22 seasons and was inducted into the Jacksonville College Corridor of Fame in 1994.
