The Trojan Wall Remembers Former AD Johnny Williams

Former Athletic Director Johnny Williams passed away today after a battle with leukemia. He was 68 years old.

The North Alabama graduate came to Troy in the late 1980s and was on Rick Rhoades’ staff during the 1987 Division II National Championship season.

In his seven seasons on the sidelines, Williams would serve as a assistant coach under Rhoades, Robert Maddox, and Larry Blakeney.

His final season would see Troy finish 12-1-1 and make it to the DI-AA Semifinals, losing 24-21 against Marshall.

During this period, he was a member of the Athletic Challenge Fun Steering Committee. It helped raise $1 million within a two year period to help push Troy towards the move to Division I.

Williams also handled football promotions within the Athletics department.

Beginning in 1994, Williams would become Troy’s newest Athletic Director. He was instrumental in helping Troy to have one of its most sustained periods of success.

Troy would make it to the D-I AA Playoffs in football six times in seven years, winning three Southland titles.

Overall, Troy’s athletics would win 28 total conference titles during his tenure. Men’s Track and Field would win 6. Baseball and Men’s golf won 4. Men’s basketball, along with football, won 3. Softball, Men’s tennis, and Women’s tennis all won 2. Women’s Track and Field would round it off with 1.

Williams guided Troy through its most difficult period, the move to D I-A. He raised the money to make the move, scheduled new opponents, and renovated and expanded Veterans Memorial Stadium.

This included a 1998 deal to name the field after Richard M. Scrushy, the former HealthSouth CEO, and a 2003 deal selling the naming rights to Movie Gallery, the video rental company headquartered in Dothan.

Both of these deals provided the money to expand The Vet to 30,000 seats.

In his final football season in Troy, Williams would engineer two moves that would catapult Troy.

He helped get highly ranked Missouri to come to The Vet for the 2004 season in a nationally televised game. Secondly, he helped usher Troy into its FBS conference home in the Sun Belt, a move that has resulted in Troy winning more football games and conference titles than any other team.

In 2004, he would depart Troy and begin working at the University of Alabama until 2007. He would return to college football as the executive director of the Camellia Bowl (now the Salute to Veterans Bowl).

He was inducted into the Troy Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, forever enshrining him as an integral member of Troy’s success.

Williams left an indelible mark on Troy’s history. He was by all accounts a good person and great friend.

He loved Troy and his time there. He will be truly missed.