Sam Williams (basketball, born 1924)
Sport(s) | Basketball |
---|---|
Biographical details | |
Born |
June 29, 1924 Daingerfield, Texas |
Died |
October 22, 2012 88) McAllen, Texas | (aged
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
195?–1958 | McAllen HS |
1958–1973 | Texas–Pan American |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 244–164 (0.598) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
| |
Awards | |
|
Walter "Sam" Williams (June 29, 1924 – October 22, 2012)[1] was an American college basketball coach. He is considered an early pioneer of racial integration in the college game[2] and is the University of Texas–Pan American's all-time leader in wins (244),[3] including its only men's basketball national championship in 1962–63.[2] Williams is referred to as the "Father of Broncs Basketball" at Texas Pan–American.[1] He oversaw the school's transition from a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) program into a NCAA Division I program.[1] During his 15 year tenure, he had 11 winning seasons, 4 20-win seasons, and 244 total victories.
The UTPA Fieldhouse, where the team plays their home games, had its center court rededicated to Williams on November 20, 2010.[2] He was also named head coach emeritus, becoming just the second former coach at Texas Pan–American to earn that honor (baseball coach Al Ogletree was the first).[2]
Williams died on October 22, 2012, from natural causes.[1]
Head coaching record
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Texas–Pan American Broncs (Big State Conference) (1958–1962) | |||||||||
1958-59 | Texas Pan-American | 12-11 | 3-5 | ||||||
1959-60 | Texas Pan-American | 17-9 | 3-5 | ||||||
1960-61 | Texas Pan-American | 15-16 | 5-3 | ||||||
1961-62 | Texas Pan-American | 24-6 | 9-1 | NAIA Second Round | |||||
Texas–Pan American Broncs (Independent) (1962–1973) | |||||||||
1962-63 | Texas-Pan American | 25-6 | NAIA Champions | ||||||
1963-64 | Texas-Pan American | 28-6 | NAIA Runner-up | ||||||
1964-65 | Texas-Pan American | 19-7 | |||||||
1965-66 | Texas-Pan American | 15-12 | |||||||
1966-67 | Texas-Pan American | 15-9 | |||||||
1967-68 | Texas-Pan American | 21-6 | NCAA Division II Second Round | ||||||
1968-69 | Texas-Pan American | 9-16 | |||||||
1969-70 | Texas-Pan American | 8-16 | |||||||
1970-71 | Texas-Pan American | 13-3 | |||||||
1971-72 | Texas-Pan American | 17-7 | |||||||
1972-73 | Texas-Pan American | 4-22 | |||||||
Texas Pan American: | 244-160 | 24-12 | |||||||
Total: | 244-160 | ||||||||
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
|
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Walter Sam Williams obituary". The Monitor. Legacy.com. October 25, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 UTPA Athletics Media Relations (November 23, 2010). "UTPA rededicates Sam Williams Court, Williams named Head Coach Emeritus". University of Texas–Pan American. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
- ↑ "UTPA Mourns Passing of Sam Williams". UTPAbroncs.com. University of Texas–Pan American. October 22, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2014.