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Show Williams - Successful Tennis Coach Retires After 17 Years TiKK'le Transcript, Thursday, April 8, 1982 - IpaDip fl'g) Crantsville tennis coach Boh Williams has resigned effective this season. Williams will continue as basket hall coach of the CowIkivs. If there is one guy in Crantsville we dont envy it is Don Wayne Nelson who has assumed the reigns as tennis coach for the Cowlwys. Now Nelson is a likeable guy, he is talented, and Crantsville is a great place to work, hut having to follow in the footsteps of Roltert (Bob) Williams is enough to scare the daylights out of anyone. Inheriting a position that has !een quake with appreheasion. What makes a person a successful coach? years of coaching won 15 titles. Region Won state championshipos 9 times, including six titles in a row. Wanna' judge a successful coach by his accomplishments with his players? In 17 How alxHit: Produced 42 individual state champions. Developed 25 players to such a high point of skill that they were good enough to qualify for college scholarships. Perhaps you prefer to judge a successful coach on his ability to organize and sustain a complete program. If you do, coasider that : This man organized the first girls competitive tennis program at Crantsville high school, coached it for one year and then let others carry on. Crantsville finished third in the state that year and all the players were ninth graders. From that first organization, state champions have been created. Is a coach successful because he has the ability to do other things? This man has coached about every sport played on the high school level and has been successful in all of them. Is a man successful if he takes an active part in things not particularly assocaited with athletics? Our subject takes an active part in civic activities, politics (former City Councilman) and business, and has an excellent rapport with all with whom I. . Spoil Editor couragement he has received from Betty. She rates numlrer one. It is only fitting that true of Bolt's pupils, Don Wavne Nelson who led Grantsville to its first state championship in 19(r6 should Ire named successor to retiring coach Williams. lake we said at the Ircginning of this artcile we do nett envy coach Nelson. Tire reputation rtf Grantsville tennis glow with a brilliant hue, a torch that burns proud and fiercely. It won't Ire easy to keep pace w ith those that have lit and carried this torch. Irut if there is erne man capable of doing just that, that man is Don Wayne held by one man for 17 years makes one want to tread with caution, but when that one man was successful for those 17 years, it makes one almost Many people make many assessments as to what makes a coach successful? Those who stick strictly with the won and lost record get plenty of tracking from records such as: Won 167 out of 179 dual meets for an astronomical 94 percentage rate. 1 1 Nelson. Little Change We dont envy him, but we sure have confidence in him. Asked why he chose this particular year to resign his tennis coaching job, Williams siniled, noded his head and .Seventeen years in the coaching professional hasn't been too hard on the physical appearance of Crantsville coach Bob Williams. Above Bob relaxes (sans slxtcs) as he first entered the coaching ranks. Bight i Bob as he appears today. The coaching profession has been as good to Bob as Boh has been to the profession. he comes in cont act wit h. These are just some of the facets that people use as a criteria in juding whether or not a coach is successful. Bob Williams has accomplished all these thing! and anyway you look at it, coach Ilob Williams is successful. If a stranger was to ask for Bob Williams, and someone would jioint him out, the stranger would more than likely say, Yeah but I want the older Williams, you know, the one that coaches." Coach Williams (whose exact age we won't reveal) appears much younger than his actual age. It is hard to believe that he is one of the senior coaches in the entire state of Utah. Coach Williams more nearly resembles one of his athletes than he does a veteran coach. As a high school athlete Williams participated in all sports, and was especially active in the spring when he competed in tennis, track and !aseba!l. His first coaching came in 1957 when he coached all the sports at Dugway high school, with one assistant, Don Lindsey. In 1962 Williams returned to his alma mater, Grants-vill- e, as the assistant football coach. In the school year 1964-6Williams became the head basketball coach, replacing Roland Anderson and he was also appointed the head tennis coach, replacing Glen Rupp. Both sports flouished under coach Williams, but this story is about tennis so we will stick to the tennis accomplishments. Few schools have ever dominated a sport as completely as Crantsville tennis. And that dominance is traceable to the genius of Bob Williams; that and a lot of hard work. work. Four hours of practice a day was the rule rather than the exception. The toughest competition available was always the objective, with the toughest competition usually coming from within the squad in the battle for the various positious. Always our toughest competition e has lecn against coach Wilbur and the Manti Templars," coach Williams said. In the 17 years I coached tennis it was usually Manti or Grantsville that won the state championship. Juab won the title twice, Lehi got it one once, Manti was the state champ five times, and Grantsville won it the other nine years. And it wont Ire any different this year, Williams concluded. Braith-wait- replied, 'Ob, I don't know. I just figured it was time to step aside. I left a very gcxxl squad for l3on Wayne three state champions (Gerald came Like most coaches Williams was reluctant to pin the tags as the (rest I've ever coached on any one individual. Gosh, Ive coached so many truly outstanding players, that I just couldnt name the best I ever coached," William reflected. We pumped him a bit, but to no avail, but here are some of the names that Williams did Isolate: Jack Nelson who went on to Irecome the numlrer one singles player at Welrer State, the Sotllrergs, Scott and Jay, the coachs sons, Scott and Bryan who won the BYU Invitational title, Brett Durfee, the Nelsons, Don Wayne, Jack and Kenny, all who went on to play collegiate tennis, Randy Winmill, Brad Sutton, Jim Hopkins, Kelly Williams, Glade Gamble, Steve Symonds, Randy Winmill, Dave Worthington, Larry Gamble, Phil Diderickscn and Mark Watson. There are many more names that could Ire added to this list, but let us just say that every player that played for Williams added lustre to the tradition that is ever-growin- g Grantsville tennis. Standing solidly in back of Williams during all the years of frust ration, peaks, valleys, w ins and losses has been his lovely and charming wife, Betty. If ever a woman was Irom to Ire a coach's wife, that woman is Betty and she has played her role to the fullest. Boh knows and attests that a great deal of his success is directly attributable to the support and en last year) and I wanted to de- vote more time to my personal life and my family." Those associated with coach Rolrert Williams the school, the players, the npprsition and the media will miss him and the influence he has had on the game. All of us, with him continued success in all his endeavors. DRIBBLER Marques Haynes of the Harlem Wizards has Irecn entertaining basketball fans for nearly 40 years. Since he started playing for Langston University in the 1930s, he has played in more than K,000 games in 96 count ries. Haynes is acknowledged as the sport's premier dribbler and ballhandler. He didn't invent dribling, he just perfected it. me 14 on my Savings Plan. 5 BRA Nel- son, Nate Millward and John Butler) plus plenty of experienced players for the other positions. I leave tennis on a winning nerte (William's last state title Tax-Deferr- ed A Family Man Bob and Betty Williams pose with their family five years ago (1977). The proud seated on floor, and Bryan, Scott and parents are on the right, with children Jennifer Allisonon fireplace Hearth. ... and my contributions can be made automatically. you dont have to pay the At First Security, annual sum in one payment, although that is certainly an option. You can also make periodic deposits every month, or double up on deposits, whatever is most convenient for you. Monthly, by payroll deduction or automatic transfer. The more you save, the more interest youll earn. We can arrange it your way. AND ITS ALL TAX-DEFERRE- SEE HOW YOUR IRA SAVINGS GROW and your funds are insured. You pay no fees There is substantial interest penalty for early withdrawal. , D Every dollar you contribute to your IRA fund each year can be deducted from your Federal Taxable Income. And all the interest that First until you Security pays you is also withdraw the money. tax-deferr- ed Open your account today 14 per annum, current variable rate, for a period of 3 months. Minimum opening deposit of $500. Additions in any amount, or choose from three other IRA savings plans. Repeated Nin& Times This 1976 scene, taken after Crantsville had won another state title could have been taken in any one of nine years. The Cowboys under the guidance of Bob Williams were state champions nine different years. FditsG: These tables are based on the assumption that one contribution of the amount specified is made annually at the beginning of each tax year and that the interest accumulates and is compounded quarterly. DOUBLE the dollar figures above for married couples (if both work) who together contribute for a $2, 000 each ($4, 000 total ) annually. INCREA SE amounts by married couple (with a spouse) who contribute $2,250 annually. one-eigh- th SEcmCy ESamiCss Each affiliate bank of First Security Corporation is a member of FDIC. Each depositors account is insured to $100,000 by FDIC. ( |