Thursday, July 27, 2000

ACU track great selected to lead program
Williams hopes to continue Wildcats’ tradition of excellence
By Al Pickett
Reporter-News Staff Writer

A former Olympian is returning to Abilene to become the head track and field coach at Abilene Christian University.

Freddie Williams, one of the top middle-distance runners in ACU history, was named the Wildcats’ new coach at a press conference Wednesday at the Teague Special Events Center.

“I will maintain the integrity of this program and take it to new heights,” Williams told a gathering of alumni, fans and faculty at the press conference. “I ask for your support. I am looking forward to coming back.

“I have big shoes to fill. First of all, I can only give the honor and glory to God. He has a reason for wanting me and my family back here.”

Williams takes over for interim head coach Jon Murray, who last spring asked ACU director of athletics Stan Lambert to re-open the search for a new head coach. Williams inherits an ACU program that won seven of the last eight NCAA Division II men’s and women’s national titles, including three this year under Murray.

“Freddie Williams brings a dynamic level of energy and enthusiasm to our track and field program at Abilene Christian University,” Lambert said. “His personality and ability to interact with, and recruit outstanding student-athletes to our program will allow the program to continue the great success and tradition of the last several year.”

Williams, a 1989 graduate of ACU, was the NCAA Division I champion in the 800 (outdoors) and 1,000 (indoors) in 1986, joining sprinter Bobby Morrow as the only Wildcats to win multiple NCAA Division I national championships.

Williams helped head coach Don Hood’s teams win four straight NCAA Division II outdoor national championships (1984-87) by winning four individual national titles in the 800 meters and the 1,500 meters in 1984. He also ran on three Division II national champion 4x400 relay teams.

The eight-time all-American helped ACU to four straight Lone Star Conference championships by winning the 800 four times, the 1,500 three times and running on four conference champion 4x400 relay teams.

Williams, a citizen of Canada and a resident of Mississauga, Ontario, won the 1992 USA/Mobil indoor national championships in New York City to give him the Mobil Grand Prix 800 and overall men’s titles for the 1992 indoor season.

He ran the 800 in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona as the Canadian team captain.

Williams was training for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but he said he will give up that pursuit in order to take the job at ACU.

“I haven’t run the qualifying standard yet,” Williams said. “We haven’t had our Olympic trials yet. My wife and I talked, and we decided if I was offered this job, I would give up trying to make the team. I have been to the Olympics.”

Williams placed 25th in the 800 meters at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and then took sixth in the 800 at the World Championships the next year in Stuttgart, Germany. His time at the World Championships in 1993 was a 1:45.43, which still stands at the Canadian record.

Williams’ best time this year is 1:48.35. The Olympic qualifying standard is 1:46.5.

Williams said he hoped assistant coaches Murray and Kelly Smith would remain on his staff.

“But I haven’t had a chance to sit down and talk with them yet,” he said. “I’m hoping they stay on. The key is to build a team, to continue the success we’ve had.”

Williams takes over one of the top track and field programs in the nation, one that has won 45 national championships since 1952. ACU’s track program was recently named Texas Monthly’s “Sports Dynasty of the Century.”

Williams said he has coached for seven years in the high school system in Canada and has also coached athletes in track clubs.

Murray served as the interim coach at ACU for one year, taking over for Wes Kittley last summer when Kittley resigned to become the head track coach at Texas Tech. Murray led the Wildcats this year to a Lone Star Conference men’s cross country championship, the men’s and women’s LSC track and field championships, the men’s NCAA Division II indoor and outdoor national championships and the women’s NCAA Division II indoor national championship.

Contact sports editor Al Pickett at 676-6772 or picketta@abinews.com. We are on the Web at sports.texnews.com.