A LOT OF YOU DON’T KNOW OF DAVE WILLIAMS. DAVE
WAS ONE OF THE NICEST GUYS WHO EVER WALKED THIS
LAND. IN 1954 WHEN I GOT TO UH I MET DAVE. NOT SURE
IF IT WAS DAVE OR OUR TRACK COACH THAT GOT THE
FOOTBALL GUYS TO LOOK AT THIS COUNTRY BOY FROM
TOMBALL. DAVE NOT ONLY LOVED GOLF BUT WAS A PURE SPORTS FAN. DAVE TAUGHT ENGINERING BUT
WAS ALSO THE GOLF COACH. IF YOU WERE A UH
ATHLETE DAVE KNEW YOU. HE HAD SEEN ME RUNNING
TRACK IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS ALWAYS TALKING TO
HIS UH GUYS. LATER WHEN I GOT A POSITION INSTEAD
OF A JOB I WOULD SEND DAVE MONEY FOR THE GOLF
TICKETS. HE NEVER ASK IF YOU WANTED THEM HE
JUST SENT THEM WITH THE BILL.LOL NEVER FORGOT
A NAME. HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
COACHES EVER. HIS TEAMS WON 16 NAT’L CHAMPION-
SHIP IN GOLF. HE NEVER CHANGED, STILL THE SAME
GUY I MET IN 1954. DAVE COULD NOT BEAT A SINGLE
GOLFER HE EVER RECRUITED. BUT HE KNEW HOW TO
GET THE BEST OF HIS PLAYERS.
BACK THEN UH NOT ONLY HAD GOOD TEAMS , BUT
GREAT COACHES WHO WERE ALSO GREAT MEN. I STILL
TRY TO HELP OUR ATHLETIC DEPT . THEY ALL HAVE DONE SO MUCH WITH SO LITTLE. THANKS GUYS.
WE LOST DAVE WAY TO EARLY. JUST THOUGHT I
WOULD INTRO SOME OF OUR YOUNGER COOGS
TO MY FRIEND.
Standord then us in golf… RIP Dave!
Your post Sir is wonderful. I posted a few days ago that we should have the “Classic stories and UH history” section right above the football section. That way it is right there for everyone to see. I have patience but how many posters scroll down to the front page? My guess is not too many. Especially if visitors use their smart phone.
The gift that Mr. Williams had was extremely rare. Can you just imagine if we could recruit coaches with just a bit of the same mindset? Some might say it was a different time. I will respond that Mr. Williams gave us how many National championships while beating power houses?
Our golf and baseball programs are not doing well. I am sure Mr. Pezman is taking a close look right now. We have no excuses for not being a golf powerhouse again. When was the last time that we had a “get together” of former Williams players? I would love to be a fly on the wall and hear, listen how Mr. Williams was so successful. Just think of the benefits that Mr. Pezman could get from this?
Special human being are always with us…we just have to think about them.
Thank you again for posting Sir.
To our younger Coogs out there, we older ones already know, UH golfers have won the Grand Slam of Golf and the The Players Championship. As a golfer, I always take pride in that.
Dave was, indeed, a very special Cougar. And he had a secretary, a Mrs. Keuney (sp. is probably wrong), who was also a special Cougar. She really ran the Cougar Club, forerunner of Cougar Pride; she just let Dave THINK he ran it!
I was so fortunate to have gotten to know Dave Williams along with Guy Lewis and Bill Yeoman.
They are all gone from this world but certainly not forgotten by this old Cougar.
When I started working at the Daily Cougar one of my first interviews was with coach Williams. He was one of the most positive people I have ever been around in my life. Looking back, I am not sure who really did the interviews between me and him lol.
He was a motivational guy. Heck, I never played a round of golf in my life but after spending a few minutes with coach I felt ready to go on the tour.
He was always positive, loved UH with all of his heart, and always campaigned for all of our athletic and academic programs.
Back in 1968 coach asked me one time if I needed a little cash…well heck, what young college student doesn’t?
He told me I could get paid decent money by helping run the scoreboard at the AAII tournament, a collegiate gathering put together by wizard Williams and included most of the top teams in the nation.
My car was in the shop but he never hesitated…he picked me up every day in his infamous station wagon.
I got motivational and positive vibes every time I was around him. He always told me to hang in there because the cream always rises to the top…heck, he had more confidence in me than I did.,
A deeply religious man, you can bet I heard about the Lord every time I was around him. He never shied away from a discussion about Jesus…however he was courteous enough to respect other people’s views.
He was one of a kind and one of the greatest coaches and human beings I have ever been around.
And of course that goes for coach Yeoman and Lewis. They all had a huge impact on my young life and I will ever be thankful I got to be around them…
Butch, you have probably been asked this question a thousand times.
Could you please post your entire interview with Mr. Williams?
Every athlete should read your interview and what it means to be part of a program.
Mods if this was done already please re-post it. Butch I thank you for your post. These are the types of “reads” that bring a huge feelling of pride for our alma matter.
The concept of doing much with so little is laid out perfectly by the OP. I never knew Coach Williams was an Engineering professor, although I idolized him as a young HS golfer and later as a UH student.
Butch you captured the essence of Dave! Upbeat, positive & always speaking of UH greatness. Also the best at getting folks to volunteer to “help” our University. As a young student Dave Impacted my life with his enthusiasm & love for the U of H.
NYT’s article on Dave Williams’ passing. Interesting info included:
I had the privilege of hearing Dave Williams speak a few times and thought if he had chosen to be a salesman he would have been a multi millionaire, he could have sold siding to folks with brick houses. He had a genuineness about him that just won people over.