South Alabama honors beloved coach and athletic administrator

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) -South Alabama honored beloved athletic administrator and coach Hal Williams before their game against Marshall. Williams died earlier this year and was a prominent figure at the university for several years. According to South Alabama, Williams served as head golf coach and NCAA Compliance officer from 1988 to 1996 when he was then named Assistant Athletic Director. Williams was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics in 2005.

Before the game, dozens of Williams’ friends and family members gathered for a dedication ceremony outside of the stadium where they named the lot where he spent many Saturdays tailgating with his loved ones. They also unveiled a bench just outside of the lot that has Williams’ name and picture on it, and they hope it will serve as a constant reminder of the legacy he left at South Alabama.

“Hal Williams was an icon, and he was a great administrator, he was a great coach, he was a great colleague but above that he was an amazing human being who saw the good in life,” said Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann.

“We have really wanted him to have a namesake and a legacy on this campus and to have this lot named after him is unbelievable for our family,” said Hal’s son Kevin Williams.

The university says this was made possible thanks to an anonymous donor.

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