Saint Augustine’s fires its ‘greatest ambassador,’ legendary coach George Williams
A legendary sports figure in the Triangle has been shown the door.
George Williams, the longtime track and field coach at Saint Augustine’s University who also served as athletic director, was fired Wednesday, his attorney confirmed.
ABC11-WTVD, The News & Observer’s news-gathering partner, was first to report the dismissal.
A 1965 graduate of SAU, Williams led his alma mater for 43 seasons, winning 39 Division II championships, the most of any active coach. In 2004, Williams coached the US Olympic team.
When contacted by The News & Observer on Wednesday, Williams referred all questions to his lawyer, Nicholas Sanservino, Jr. Attempts to reach SAU for comment were unsuccessful. Sanservino released a statement on behalf of Williams on Wednesday.
“Coach Williams is a living legend who has dedicated his life to helping young people become better athletes and more importantly, better people. For over 50 years, developing future leaders has been at the core of everything he has done. He accomplished these goals, along with leading his alma mater to 39 national titles and proudly serving his country, including when coaching the 2004 Olympic track and field team. As one would imagine, he has been touched by the outpouring of appreciation and support he has received today from across this country.
Unfortunately, St. Augustine’s unlawfully terminated his employment today without cause. Coach Williams will vigorously fight for his rights so he can continue to serve the students and greater community. If there was ever an individual who should be able to complete his mission on his terms, it is Coach Williams.”
Williams has been a household name at the school since returning to his alma mater in 1968, bringing its track and field and cross country program to national prominence. During his tenure, Williams has coached more than 40 Olympians. One of those athletes was Bershawn “Batman” Jackson, who graduated from SAU and won the bronze in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
Jackson, who still lives in the area, said he was shocked by the news.
“It’s sad,” Jackson said. “It’s disrespectful. He had plenty of offers in the past to go to any other University to coach and he chose to stay at his alma mater for a number of years. For them to fire him, for no reason in my opinion, it hurts. At any other school, he would have a statue in front of the school. I just can’t explain how upset I am.”
Williams is a member of nine different halls of fame, including the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Named track and field and cross country coach in 1976, Williams also served one season as the men’s basketball coach (1998), leading the team to a division title. As a student-athlete, Williams was a star basketball player for the university.
In 2011, SAU opened the George Williams Sports Complex, a 2,500-seat stadium on campus.
Jackson, who turned pro after leaving SAU and retired from running in 2018, was asked if he would continue to donate to the school after what happened to Williams.
“No,” Jackson said. “I won’t do it. Something has to be explained. I’m in disbelief right now.”
David Bowser, who has been at the school since November, was named interim athletic director Wednesday.
Scott Dupree, Executive of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, said spoke with Williams after hearing the news.
“I don’t know what happened, and coach didn’t tell me what happened,” Dupree told the N&O. “He seemed to be doing OK. It sounded like I was more upset than he was. He was telling me not to worry about it. I could tell he was frustrated, let’s just say that.”
“To me and I think to a lot of people, George Williams is Saint Augustine’s University,” Dupree continued. “I think he might be Raleigh’s greatest ambassador world wide. Without question, he’s Saint Aug’s greatest ambassador. He has brought world wide attention to the University. No one has given more to Saint Aug’s than George. No one has been more devoted to that University than George.”
This story was originally published July 1, 2020 at 4:07 PM.
