By Bonitta Best
George “Pup” Williams has more track and field awards and accolades than you can shake a stick at. And he’s appreciative of them all.
But if the latest one comes to fruition, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t, it will be the ultimate cherry on a very high and mountainous cake.
Led by North Carolina Senator Dan Blue, Raleigh Mayor Pro Tem Corey Branch and the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Valerie Jordan, travelers along I-440 near New Bern Avenue will see George Williams’ name on the beltway signage.
The Raleigh City Council last week unanimously approved the measure that still has a go through the NCDOT Board of Transportation. But, really, who’s going to argue?
“Oh Jesus! I love my city, you know? It has always been there for me and for that kind of honor from people still thinking about me after all this time, it’s something that your family can always see or remember,” Williams said by phone.
Williams said Blue was the catalyst that started the chain reaction. They all go way back but, then again, who doesn’t know about Williams, his accomplishments and putting St. Augustine’s College/University on the map.
Don’t call him the Mike Krzyzewski or Dean Smith of track and field. He is his own man who built his own dynasty on a campus that, until a few years ago, didn’t even have a decent track field.
The Falcons practiced on campus but hosted their home meets at North Carolina State and other venues throughout Williams’ 44-year career.
Williams graduated from SAU in 1965 and never left. He built a powerhouse track program that earned him over 150 CIAA track and field and cross country championships, 39 Division II national titles and 282 NCAA individual championships. This is not counting the dozens of coach of the year awards and Hall of Fame inductions.
The media joked about St. Aug’s on Day 1 of a championship meet because the Falcons would be far behind. We knew Williams saved his best performances on the final day. Many times, the championship came down to the final event, the 4×400-meter relay. Game over!
Then came the crowning achievement of Williams’ stellar coaching career when he was named the head coach of the 2004 Olympic track and field teams. The United States won a record number of medals and further solidified Williams’ stature as one of the greatest track coaches in ANY division.
Now this.
“It (beltline renaming) will probably take over the Olympics, although the Olympics were really high and really big,” he said. “I remember that, you know, that was the top of my career, but people read about the Olympics but sometimes they don’t read about who was making the decisions. But when you walk and see that (beltline) sign, it’s going to make somebody ask, ‘Who is George Williams? What did George Williams do?’”
Williams said he’s moved on from his abrupt firing by St. Aug’s in 2020, and has nothing but good will toward the university. (St. Aug’s was unable to make its Feb. 9 payroll and, as of Feb. 14, employees still had not been paid.)
“I pray that the school survives because I tell everybody when I’m talking to them, ‘if it wasn’t for St. Aug’s, I wouldn’t be talking to you now,’” Williams said.
