The Lincoln University Welcomes Back Ray Williams as Head Cross Country & Track and Field Coach

COACH RAY WILLIAMS

LOWER OXFORD, Pennsylvania -- Coach Ray Williams returns to Lincoln after spending a year on the Ole Miss staff as an assistant coach. Prior to Ole Miss, he was the Head Coach at Lincoln for four seasons.

"I appreciate the opportunity that Ross Bjork and Coach Brian O'Neil gave me to serve at Ole Miss last season. Now I am ready to get back on track at Lincoln to advance the legacy," said Williams.

Williams had at least one men's cross country runner on the All-CIAA team and in 2012, Shana Brown (Baltimore, MD/Institute of Notre Dame) was the first-ever female on the All-CIAA squad.  On the track, in 2011 Williams guided Matthew Coston to an 800 Meter Indoor CIAA Champion as well as IC4A qualifiers in the 200 Meters, 800 Meters and 4x400 Relay Team.  During the 2012 season Diane Lindsey became the first student-athlete to qualify for the NCAA Division II national championships while Tarem Cannonier was All-IC4A and ranked in the top 20 in the 400 Hurdles.

Williams arrived at Lincoln back in 2010 from a highly decorated NCAA Division II program at Grand Valley State University. Prior to coaching at Grand Valley, Williams was a men's and women's assistant track & field coach at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., where he concentrated on sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers.

In his years preceding the position at Marquette, Williams served as the Director of Student-Athlete Development and men's and women's assistant track and field coach at the University of Detroit for the 2001-2002 season. During his stint with the Titans, four of his athletes captured conference titles.

Before he joined the Detroit program, he was the assistant women's cross country and track and field coach at Western Michigan in 2000-2001 and from 1997-2000 he enjoyed a productive stint as the assistant track and field coach at the University of Chicago. While at Chicago, he coached a three-time NCAA Division III All-American and two NCAA Division III national qualifiers.

Williams, a native of Chicago, has worked diligently at many national camps throughout his career. In 2012, he was appointed Secretary of the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).  He has served as an instructor at the UCLA Speed and Power Camp, directed the Speed and Power Development Camp at Grand Valley State from 2005-2010 and served as the keynote speaker and clinician at the 2010 Chicago Public Schools Track & Field Clinic. Williams completed his Masters in Education at GVSU, and graduated from North Central College in Naperville, Ill., in 1995 with a degree in Urban Sociology.

In addition to coaching, Williams has worked with the Boy Scouts of America, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Campus Outreach Opportunity League (COOL). He also served as the Undergraduate Advisor for the Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc. at GVSU and currently an active member.

During his undergraduate years at North Central, Williams was a NCAA Division III All-American in the 110 hurdles in 1995, Team Captain, and three-time CCIW Conference Champion. His efforts helped the Cardinals on their way to a Division III Outdoor National Championship in 1994. Williams was also a member of the DC Capitals Track and Field Club teams from 1996-2000.

Williams and his wife, Danyual, have two sons: Daniel and Kamran.

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION