Ole Miss hires North Central College alumnus as assistant track and field coach

The University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) has hired North Central College alumnus Rafael “Ray” Williams '95 as an assistant coach for its track and field program specializing in sprints, hurdles and relays.

Williams was head coach of the track and field and cross country programs at Lincoln University in Oxford, Penn., from 2010 to 2014.

“I am extremely pleased to be adding Ray Williams to our track and field staff,” head track and field coach Brian O’Neal said. “He brings a wealth of knowledge in several areas. We look forward to his contributions and we're glad to welcome him to Rebel Nation.”

In four years at Lincoln, Williams sent several athletes to the NCAA Division II Championships. He arrived at Lincoln from a highly decorated NCAA Division II program at Grand Valley State University, which has garnered a reputation for attracting and developing top talent. During his six years as an assistant coach at GVSU, Williams specialized with the sprints, hurdles and relays while helping the both the men and women compete for national titles each year.

Prior to coaching at Grand Valley, Williams was a men’s and women’s assistant track and field coach at Marquette University for two years, where he concentrated on sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers. His coaching career also includes stops at the University of Detroit Mercy, Western Michigan University and the University of Chicago.

Williams is a native of Chicago. During his undergraduate years at North Central, he was an NCAA Division III All-American in the 110-meter 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 to 2000. He graduated from North Central in 1995 with a degree in urban sociology.