Football has been a part of Jeff Williams’ life since he was big enough to be a mascot for the little league team his father coached.
And now he’s stepping away.
After 17 seasons as head coach of the Giles High School football team, a tenure that included over 100 wins and a state championship, Williams is retiring from his post.
“It’s always tough when you leave something that you’ve done so long. It’s been a big part of my life,” Williams told the Times. “I’m sure it’s going to be tough, but it’s a good time to get out and go forward and retire, and get on with my life. It’s got a little sadness to it, but it’s like a light at the end of the tunnel has come forward and it’s time to do something else and retire, and enjoy life a little bit.”
He initially planned to have a 30-year career in education, in which he served as a physical education teacher and driver’s ed instructor, and ended up doing one more.
“I was just ready,” he said. “It’s just a good time to get out and retire, and while my health’s still good, get out and do some things I want to do.”
Williams, a Giles High and Virginia Tech alumnus, began his coaching career as an assistant under legendary Spartans head coach Steve Ragsdale in the late 1980s. When Ragsdale retired after 30 years in 2008, Williams was tabbed as his replacement.
Williams then led Giles to 10 winning seasons, including an undefeated 15-0 campaign in 2013 that ended with the Spartans winning the Group 2A state championship in a thrilling 20-19 overtime win over Brunswick at Salem Stadium. They posted a perfect regular season the following year.
He retires with a final record of 119-72, a winning percentage of .623.
Related Video: Giles State Championship 2013
“We’ve had some ups and downs, but mostly a lot more ups than we had downs,” he said. “I feel like we’ve been successful. It was a great honor to take over for coach Ragsdale when he retired, and I was glad I was able to commit to that, and I feel like I’ve done a pretty good job with it.”
Related Video: Spartans win title, finish season 15-0
Much of the Spartans’ success as a program has come from their use of the single-wing offense, and Williams said he hopes they continue to use it going forward.
“The sad part of it is not working with the kids anymore, and that’s a big part of it and that’s why we do what we do,” he said. “Is to work with the kids, and hopefully they can get some experience from playing athletics under our wing when we look out for them.”