Mark W. Williams :::
Mark W. Williams
Graduated in 1976
Inducted in 2009
Mark Williams graduated from LT in 1976 and continued his education at the University of Nebraska, earning a bachelor’s degree in secondary education and English. He later earned a master’s in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. Williams competed for LT in gymnastics and was named to the U.S. Junior National Team in 1975. He went on to compete for the University of Nebraska from 1976-80. He was an All-American on the high bar in 1978 and helped Nebraska earn back-to-back team NCAA championships in 1979 and 1980. After his NCAA eligibility expired, Williams joined the coaching staff at Nebraska, where he helped the team win another national title in 1981. Williams went on to coach gymnastics at the club and high school level, earning a Texas State title. In 1988, Williams became the assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma. In 1991, the team earned a National Championship, and Williams took over the program as head coach in 1999. Since taking the helm, Williams’ team has won five National Championships and eight Conference Championships, never finishing lower than fourth in the nation. Over nine seasons, Williams has complied a .925 winning percentage (career: 195-17) and has not yet had a season with more than four losses. Williams has been named NCAA Coach of the Year five times and in 2008 was named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Conference’s Coach of the Year for the eighth time. In less than five seasons, Williams amassed 100 career wins, faster than any other coach in NCAA history. An unprecedented 103 All-Americans have been produced while Williams has coached at Oklahoma, along with four NCAA all-around champions and 13 NCAA event champions. Williams is the only NCAA coach in history to win National Championships as an athlete, assistant coach and head coach and is the most successful active gymnastics coach in the NCAA. Williams has also been influential on the international gymnastics stage. He has placed 19 gymnasts on the U.S. National Team and been a U.S. coach at 11 international events, including leading the 1999 Pan American Games and 2006 World Championships teams. Williams has been part of the coaching staff for three Olympic teams (1996, 2000 and 2004) and personally coached two Olympians, both of whom medaled at their respective games. Williams was named USA Gymnastics’ National Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2006. Williams is also a certified Brevet judge (Olympic-level), a former member of the NCAA Rules Committee and has held various positions for USA Gymnastics. He has published numerous technical articles and starred in a series of instructional DVDs, “Mastering Men’s Gymnastics.”