By Jim Fryar
jfryar@joplinglobe.com
Charlie Williams will be remembered as a Christian gentleman who was also a hall of fame caliber basketball coach.
Williams, a member of the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, died Tuesday night at Freeman Hospital West after a sudden illness.
He was beginning his fourth season as coach of the boys team at College Heights Christian School, following a lengthy and successful career as a Bible school coach.
“Obviously, his records, his wins speak for themselves,” said Maryann Mitts, Missouri Southern women’s basketball coach. “There’s no question what kind of coach he was and the impact he made on the young people in the profession.
“But it doesn’t hold any relevance compared to the man he was. He was gentle, he was kind, he was humble and he had the most giving heart. The impact he had on our players was simply amazing.”
During his 20-year stint at Ozark Christian College, Williams coached against Mitts and the Lions. He later joined the Southern staff.
“He was very influential in a lot of lives,” said Dan Lewis, principal at College Heights.
“We put up a bulletin board at school today to allow students and faculty to post the one word which brings to mind coach Williams. Some of our teachers put ‘gentleman.’ ”
Said Bob Coffey, a former OCC assistant who now coaches at Seneca High School: “Charlie was a guy who always put the most important things first. He had a great knack for that.
“In his practices and games, everything was planned out, everything had a purpose, everyone knew their role. He was meticulous about plans, playbooks ... the little things that make a difference. Every detail, Charlie had it written down. He worked very hard at his craft.
“But none of this came before the individual. ... When we lost Charlie, we lost more than a great coach. He was a great person. He truly lived his life as an example. He was a wonderful mentor and role model for me and, I know, countless others.”
Williams coached 28 years at the Christian college level, beginning at Midwest Christian College in Moore, Okla. He moved to Joplin when Midwest Christian merged with the former Ozark Bible College.
As a varsity men’s and women’s basketball coach, Williams had a record of 706-444. While at OCC, he also coached women’s volleyball, men’s baseball and soccer. Overall, his varsity teams won more than 1,400 games.
Williams led three men’s teams and one women’s team to national championships in the National Christian College Athletic Association. He was a three-time NCCAA national coach of the year, a seven-time regional coach of the year and a five-time conference coach of the year.
He was selected to both the Missouri coaches hall of fame and the Joplin Sports Authority Hall of Fame.
Williams graduated from Midwest Christian in 1978 and later received a master’s degree in education from Central State University in Edmond, Okla.
He served more than 20 years with the Oklahoma National Guard, retiring in 1985.
“I’ve never seen anyone more dedicated to basketball and the kids at the same time,” Lewis said. “He put the kids first. He had a real passion for the game, loved coaching it, loved watching it, loved watching his own kids playing it.
“Last Tuesday (Dec. 8), when we beat Frontenac, he was just as giddy as a kid,” the CHC principal said. “After he called the game in to the Globe, I was talking to him in the office. He said, ‘I haven’t had that much fun in about four years.’ ”
One other memory stood out for Lewis.
“When Charlie came here, we had him teaching physical education for elementary kids. He was concerned about how he was going to handle that ... going from college students to kindergarten students. Some of the teachers mentioned their favorite memory of Charlie was walking down the hall, holding hands with the kids, taking them to the gym for PE. ... He had a way to connecting with people.”
Williams married Kim Wright on Aug. 17, 1979, in Oklahoma City. Additional survivors include a daughter, Trisha Gage and husband Harrison; two sons, Charlies R. Williams Jr., and Cody Williams; one sister, Patricia Self, and one grandson, Gaven Williams.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at College Heights Christian Church Chapel. The CHC boys basketball team will serve as honorary pallbearers.
Burial with military honors will be in the Carl Junction cemetery.
