Bethel's Eddie Williams Stepping Down as Coach


There are few individuals who have ever met him and wouldn't agree he is one of the best coaches ever. He makes the short list not for his 20+ years of tenure or his 14 state championships but for how he carried himself and coached young men and women. 

If you ever got the chance to sit in on one of his practices you could see how much he knew about the sport but more importantly how he could inspire athletes. He got his athletes prepared when it mattered most both as individuals and competitors. 


"Eddie took over a good track program at Bethel and turned it into a dynasty. He could graduate 20 seniors in one year and come back the next year and win the state. He has always been a guy who "says what he means and means what he says". He takes no credit for his many accomplishments and always gives the credit to his athletes and staff. He has gained much respect from the track community for his dedication and commitment to the sport of track and field and he will be missed." - Vincent Pugh, Athletic Director, Timer, Coach, and Longtime Track Family Member


Being the humble man he is, he did not let on any clues all year that this would be his last season and word didn't get out until just prior to the state meet. At that state meet he stepped up as much as his athletes stepped up.

Due to a few false starts and scratches, he sat far behind in team points after the first day of competition. Whatever he told his athletes the next day must have set in quick because they came out of nowhere to bring home the 5A team title. 


That title will likely go down as one of his favorites and you could not ask for a better way to end a coaching career than on such a high note. That title was his second boys outdoor title and Bethel's 4th outdoor boys title. 

Though his boys are dominant right now, he made everyone in the state have nightmares with his girls teams in the early 2000's. 


"Eddie is the coach that anyone would want their kid to be mentored by. While the on the track has been great, the off the field relationships are what really mattered. [I] Wish him good luck in his next endeavor and will miss seeing him and competing against his teams." - Mike Mangan Lake Braddock


Those girl teams from 1998 until 2005 brought home six state titles and one runner-up in eight years. Had it not been for an injury in 2006, he would have won another. 


Coaching teams was definitely a strong suit for him but he could also coach the entire team and elite individuals as well, which is not easily done. The biggest of these star athletes was Francena McCorory (pictured above) who he helped coach to a 36.96 in the 300 indoors and 51.9 in the 400 on a flat indoor track to break both national records. She has since earned a gold medal as a member of the American record 4x400 in London. 

Though his athletes won titles across the board, he will go down as the preeminent 400m and 4x400m coach in the state of Virginia. 

During his tenure he coached seven of the top 21 girls 4x400s all-time and two of the top 20 boys 4x400s all-time. His 4x100s were no slouches either with 9 of the top 28 for the girls all-time and the 9th all-time for the boys. 

This indoor season was special as well with him finally completing the trophy case in winning a boys indoor team title. In this final indoor campaign he also coached a national record performance in Edward Richardson III's frosh national record 500. 


"What has impressed me most about Eddie is his ability not only to challenge his team but also to get the most out of them. Year after year man of his kids earn scholarships to run at the college level. His relationship with the athletes he coached was so positive that they would always come back to Bethel after they were in college to tell the younger kids what it means to compete for Bethel track and what they would get out of it." - Former Bethel Athletic Director Ray Smith

Eddie truly brought it all to the sport of track and field. He brought great coaching on the individual and team level, he led the way for his athletes to be humble, and he helped our sport and championships behind the scenes for decades. Only now after winning his final state championship did he allow himself to step out and take a picture with his state championship team. 

Though he would say it is all about the athletes, you have to agree that this season was also about him. 


Coach Eddie Williams was the NSAF Outdoor Coach of The Year in 2006. He is stepping down to focus more on his family as his daughter begins her playing career in basketball at Virginia Commonwealth University. 


"The success coach Eddie Williams has had coaching has raised the bar for track and field in the Tidewater area and throughout the state of Virginia. Amazing career." - Justin Byron, Nansemond River