GMC's Bert Williams Surpasses Cordell For All-Time Victories
GMC's Bert Williams Surpasses Cordell For All-Time Victories
Georgia Military College's junior college football team completed the 2014 regular season with a 20-8 win over Lackawanna College on November 9 at Joan C. Edwards Stadium on the campus of Marshall University.
With the victory, GMC finished the regular season with a winning record at 6-4 and also gave head coach Bert Williams his 119th win with the Bulldogs in his 15th season on the Milledgeville campus.
That moved Williams past GMC coaching legend Lew Cordell, who compiled a 118-36-7 record at GMC from 1936-58.
Williams now has an impressive 119-41 mark at GMC, which also includes a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) championship in 2001, two more national championship game appearances ('02, '13) and nine bowl games.
"I can't even explain how it feels," Williams said following the game. "Honestly, it's kind of surreal and hard to even think about being talked about with someone who had such an impact on this school. I am honored just to be thought of with him today. I'm just proud of these kids for overcoming the adversity. They did a great job."
Following the game, the Bulldogs presented Coach Williams with a game ball and plaque on the field to commemorate the win.
"We certainly challenged ourselves this week with some injuries and some other issues," Williams said. "But I told the guys that I don't think I've been prouder of a group to come out against a really good team and find a way to get the win. It's one I'll never forget."
Williams entered the 2014 season ranked No. 28 for all-time wins (113) and No. 14 all-time in winning percentage (.753) in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Among active coaches, he was ranked No. 5 for wins and No. 4 for highest winning percentage as the season got started in August.
In the 10-year span from 2000 to 2009 when GMC went 82-25, Williams's teams ranked No. 4 for most wins at 82, No. 5 for highest winning percentage (.766) and No. 3 for cumulative final season ranking over than period.
GMC's 2001 national championship run was capped off by a 31-19 win over Butler Community College (Kan.) in the Sea Island Company Golden Isles Bowl in Brunswick, Ga.
During the four-year span prior to this season (2010-13), Williams ranked No. 17 for cumulative final season ranking as GMC went 30-12.
Williams was elected to the NJCAA Coaches Hall of Fame in 2010 – the only active coach to be so honored – and his 2001 national championship team was elected to the NJCAA Teams Hall of Fame in 2007.
Williams was named national Coach-of-the-Year by the National Junior College Football Coaches Association in 2001, by AFM/Schutt in 2002, and the NJCFCA and American Football Coaches Association in 2013.
Williams has also previously served as president of the NJCFCA and American Community College Football Coaches Association (ACCFCA).
He still serves as permanent secretary for the ACCFCA and is the liaison between the AFCA and the junior college coaches' association.
The 2011 GMC defense set a new record for fewest total yards allowed with 676 (67.6/game).
In 2013, running back Jovon Robinson's 34 touchdowns and 204 points scored tied Normandale's Tom Zenner's all-time records previously set in 1987.
Robinson also racked up 2,387 yards (on 272 attempts) to set a new NJCAA season record.
Williams and his GMC staff have developed 70 NJCAA All-Americans, including Robinson as the National Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 2013.
National honors also went to Jermaine Harris as the Lea Plarski Award Winner in 2002 and Randy Jackson as National Defensive Player-of-the-Year in 2002.
Williams is a native of Augusta, Ga., and graduated from Westside High School.
He played collegiately at Davidson College (N.C.) where he was a four-year letterman on the Wildcats' football team (1986-89) and earned a Bachelor's of Arts in History.
Williams began his coaching career at the University of Georgia and then went to Union College (Ky.) before landing at GMC in 1997 on the staff of head coach Robert Nunn.
Completing his 18th year at GMC, Williams is married to the former Catherine Ann Coffman of Atlanta and they have two sons – Parker (17) and Zachary (13).
(Article courtesy GMC)