Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2016
Troy Athletics has enjoyed a tremendous amount of success at the Division I level and none of that would have been possible without the vision and tireless work of Johnny Williams.Â
Williams was one of the instrumental leaders in Troy’s move from NCAA Division II to Division I, and his career had impact on not only Troy Athletics, but also collegiate athletics as a whole.
He began his career at Troy not wearing a suit, but on the football field as the Trojans’ defensive coordinator for seven seasons under three head coaches – Rick Rhoades, Robert Maddox and Larry Blakeney. Williams was a member of the 1987 staff that won the NCAA Division II National Championship and the 1993 coaching staff that made a run to the NCAA Division I-AA Semifinals.Â
“Johnny was a heckuva of a football coach,” Blakeney, who is a member of the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame, said. “He did some very admirable things here coaching the defense in the years that he and I worked together.”
The spring after Troy’s run to the I-AA Semifinals, which just happened to be the Trojans first year at the level, Williams was named Troy’s Athletics Director.Â
Prior to his appointment as Athletics Director, Williams was an original member of the Athletic Challenge Fund Steering Committee, which was the precursor to the committee that raised $1 million in less than two years to initiate Troy’s move to Division I. Additionally, Williams also assisted in the Troy Athletics business office and with football promotions.
Williams had the respect of the Troy coaches and staff from day one and because of that the Trojan athletic programs enjoyed a period of success. The Troy football team advanced to the FCS (I-AA) Playoffs six times in seven years and began playing at the FBS (I-A) level in 2001. Troy teams won 28 conference championships under Williams’ watch – football (3), baseball (4), women’s basketball (1), men’s basketball (3), men’s golf (4), softball (2), men’s tennis (2), women’s tennis (2), men’s track & field (6) and women’s track & field (1).
“Johnny knew exactly what we needed and knew where we were trying to go,” Blakeney said of his relationship with the coaches. “He knew how much work and how much money it would take for us to compete, and he did everything in his power to make us successful.
“I’ve always said this about Johnny, if you feel bad call Johnny, because he will brighten your day up. He is very positive and that is something that is paramount in this business. There was never a time that I went to him with an issue and he didn’t listen and try and satisfy what we thought our needs were.”Â
He continued to make his mark on collegiate athletics following his 10-year tenure as Troy’s Athletics Director as he spent three years as the Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of Alabama before founding Creative Marketing Management in 2007.
Williams turned his attention back to football in 2013 when he served as the executive director of the Raycom College Football All-Star Classic. Williams helped turn that all-star game into the Camellia Bowl the following year where he currently serves as the game’s executive director.
