Tom Williams is entering his ninth year as the head coach for the women's cross country team at the University of North Georgia in 2019, six years after the first season back on the map for the cross country program. Williams also took on the new role of head women's track & field coach as UNG launched the program in the spring of 2017.
In 2018, Williams led the cross country team to a second place finish in the conference championship and hosted the NCAA Southeast Regional races on UNG's Gainesville campus. The event marked the first time a bidded NCAA event was awarded to North Georgia and was also the first NCAA Regional event hosted in Hall County. Williams also coached Abigail Kirkland to her second straight 400 meter hurdles individual championship on the track.
In 2017, the cross country team won its first PBC Championship in program history with the five scorers for the team score each finishing in the top 12 of the race. Williams also coached two PBC individual champions (Brittany Truitt (5000m) and Abigail Kirkland (400m hurdles)) in track & field during the 2017-18 school year.
Williams has coached multiple All-Conference runners in both cross country and track & field over his career at UNG, including a four-time All-Conference cross country runner in Brittany Truitt, only the 10th women's cross country runner in Peach Belt Conference history to be named All-Conference four times.
In 2014, Williams led the program to its first appearance at the NCAA National Championships as the women's cross country team finished 32nd overall in the nation. The Nighthawks have finished as the runner-up at the Peach Belt Conference Championship in each of the last two seasons.
Williams also coordinates the coaches' clinic at the Nike Smoky Mountain Running Camp at UNC Asheville. Â He has been on staff at the US Sports Camps event for over 30 years.Â
Before making his way back to North Georgia, Williams coached the boys and girls cross country teams at Walton High School for 20 years. Coach Williams’ girls and boys cross country teams qualified for the State Championships in the last 12 and 14 years respectively, of his tenure.
He served as head coach of the men's and women's cross country programs at North Georgia in 2009 before both programs were discontinued.
The Walton High School legend was named GACA State Cross Country Coach of the Year in 1999 and 2002, and has earned GACA Region Coach of the Year honors on 12 different occasions, including at the end of last season. Williams has also garnered GACA Region Track & Field Coach of the Year honors 11 different times, while the Marietta Daily Journal has honored him with 18 different cross country and track & field awards in the last 20 years.
The Rittman, Ohio native is a graduate of Geneva College, where he also played football and ran track. Williams earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and went on to receive a Master of Business Administration from Georgia State and an Education Specialist from Jacksonville State.
Williams has one son and two grandchildren and is married to his wife, Ginnie.
