Veteran basketball coach Charlie Williams and his College Heights Christian basketball team picked up its first win of the season against Frontenac, Kan. on Tuesday, Dec. 8.
Sadly, it turned out to be the last game he ever coached.
Williams, a long-time college coach, passed away at the age of 67 Tuesday night at Freeman Hospital in Joplin. He leaves behind his wife of 30 years, Kim, as well as three children, Chuck, Trish Gage and Cody, and one grandson, Gaven.
Williams is mostly known in this area through his 20-year run as head coach and athletic director at Ozark Christian College in Joplin. In his time there he served as, at various times and sometimes concurrently, as head coach of boys basketball, girls basketball, volleyball, soccer and baseball.
He also coached at Midwest Christian College in Moore, Okla., prior to coming to Joplin in 1985. After leaving OCC, he worked for Missouri Southern’s and Crowder’s women’s basketball programs, before becoming a coach at College Heights Christian in Joplin. This year he was the head boys basketball coach and stepped in as athletic director.
He had a heart attack last Wednesday and another the next day and was admitted to the hospital. After leaving ICU this past weekend and getting a room, the prognosis was good.
“We were told there was only mild damage and he could life a normal life and but he said I guess I can’t coach again,” said his son Chuck, currently the head boys basketball and football coach at McAuley.
Chuck was at junior high basketball practice when he was notified his dad had a third heart attack – this one fatal. He got to the hospital only minutes after his father died, at 8:50 p.m. on Tuesday night.
“It doesn’t seem real at all,” Chuck said. “There is so much more I could say, but I can’t express it right now.”
The funeral plans were made Wednesday and Chuck was racking up cell phone minutes and text messages. And then, there were the messages posted on his Facebook page.
“It’s good to see the impact he had in many lives,” Chuck said.
Chuck’s McAuley team is supposed to play Friday, but he won’t be there, as the game is the same time as his father’s visitation at College Heights. (The funeral is Saturday at 10 a.m. at the same location.)
Right now, though, coaching basketball is not on the forefront of his mind.
“The whole reason why I’m coaching is because of him,” Chuck said. “He is the reason I love basketball.”
This year was going to be a big one for the Williams family. On Jan. 26, the ‘Father-Son’ game was schedule when McAuley played College Heights. The two were supposed to play last year, but the game was canceled because of bad weather.
“I never got the opportunity to coach against him,” Chuck said, fighting back tears. “Which is probably good because he would’ve beaten me. He is a way better coach then I will ever be.”
After talking with Chuck, I also talked to a few other people I knew had ties with Charlie, either from playing for him or coaching with him or against him.
Bob Coffey, Seneca girls head basketball coach and former OCC assistant coach.
“Charlie was a wonderful mentor. He was the model of organization and professionalism. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
“I spent four wonderful years with Charlie, not counting the camps I helped with. The thing I got, first and foremost, is keeping the things that are important first and that was how to treat people. He went above an above and beyond and then, there was a little bit of basketball after that.
“He (Charlie) has probably forgotten more basketball than I will ever know. I marveled at how he organized his practices. I watched him work his program and I noticed all the little things. I never knew things that happened behind the scenes. He did everything from equipment and apparel ordering, to how to treat the officials and make them welcome when they come to your place. He was first class.”
“I was shocked when I found out. I had tried to contact Charlie last week. I saw his score in the paper and I saw they won their first game and I wanted to congratulate him and call and talk. He came here in August to speak to my team about goal-setting and teamwork. When I saw that in the paper it struck a nerve I needed to call him. I hadn’t heard from him. I called him a couple of times Wednesday and then again on Thursday. I was at practice Thursday when he sent a text message. It was incomplete. It said something about his son coming to pick him up. Becky called and said Charlie had a heart attack. I was afraid something was up. I was able to go see him Saturday and he looked great. I spent about a half hour and had a good visit. He texted me Tuesday and said he had a couple of good test results. I presumed he would be home in a few days. He talked to me about seeing one of our games.
“Charlie was there for me when my mother passed and my wife last year. Charlie was right there. I can still see him at my mother’s funeral. He made the four hour trip by himself to be there for me. It is all about taking care of people. That is what was important for him. I think the four states not only lost a great basketball coach, but a great person.”
Becky Land, Seneca JV coach and OCC basketball player, 2001-2005
“I would say the think I remember is how he acted like a father-figure for the girls on the team. Most of them were from out-of-state and he definitely took that role. He made sure to care of us and he treated us like his own children. One thing he always emphasized is loyalty. That is what I remember him saying over and over to the team. Is stay loyal to your friends, to your teammates, to whoever you are with.
“I definitely changed as a player. I was definitely intimidated to do much, but when I left I was more confident in my game. As a person, it’s the loyalty. He stuck by you even if you didn’t do thing right. He didn’t just say it, he showed you it.”
Josh Depoe, Neosho Junior High football and basketball coach and former OCC player, 2002-2004
“I got home from Nixa around 10:30 p.m. (Tuesday) and I had got a text. I was just shocked. I couldn’t believe it.
“He was the kind of coach that you wanted to succeed for. You wanted to do well for him. That is something I took away from playing for him. He empowered us to be better people and we wanted to succeed for him. He taught us not only basketball but to have a strong Christian walk as well.
“I remember at Christmas we would get Nike shoes that he bought himself. It wasn’t just basketball, you were part of his life.”
Jennifer Depoe, former Neosho High School girls coach and former OCC player, 1999-2003
“Let’s see … this will make me cry. As a person, he was such a great mentor. He showed me how to be dedicated in everything I did. He was loyal to the team and to the players. He was always there for you as a player. He made you want to work hard and he earned your respect. You wanted to do good for him.
“He always had a smile on his face everything I saw him. A lot of my coaching style was based on how he coached. He groomed me by being a player for him to being a coach. No matter whether we won or lost, he was proud that I did a good job.”
Derek Lahm, Carl Junction JV coach, former OCC basketball camp member
“I got a text from my dad at school today and he never text me. I was shocked to see my dad text me and then I read it …
“Coach Williams always took care of me every since I was little. I would go down to the camps when my dad would help. He would give me shirts and water bottles, he always spoiled me. He was a great man. He is leaving behind a great family. I’m shocked more than anything. He was a great man for the community and always had a top notch program at OCC. He was rebuilding College Heights into a solid program.
“He was always looking out for me and my family. I remember going camp at OCC and he paired me with Chuck, who was a senior and I was a freshman. We were in an air conditioned room. He took care of dad. He was a good man. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Trish was in my grade and Cody was younger, but I knew him too. I can’t imagine losing my dad. Charlie touched a lot of people. He was a good person.”
Robert Corn, MSSU basketball coach (posted on facebook)
“Charlie Williams was a class individual. We need more like him in the coaching profession. RIP my friend.”
Cody Thorn, sports editor
The passing of Charlie hit me rather hard because I have known him since I was 6 years old. The first year I moved to Carl Junction from Springfield, he was the head coach of my pitching machine league team. And that is where I formed a friendship with Chuck that still runs to this day.
There were so many memories I have of Charlie, from being Chuck’s dad to being the OCC coach. I remember many trips in their minivan to OCC games to watch the games. I can recall sitting underneath the baskets with a towel in a my hand to wipe up sweat off the floor like it was yesterday.
Perhaps the oddest encounter I have ever had, up to that point in my journalism career, came when I worked for the Joplin Globe. I had to go cover an OCC game and as a 20-year-old writer, I had to talk to Coach Williams. It was one of the few times in my life I never knew how to address a coach after a game. I had grown up the past 14 years, at that point, knowing him as Charlie and it was a little different in the more formal setting. I have since gotten used to it and in fact, having to talk to Chuck as a coach was perhaps more more different and difficult.
I will never forget how Charlie treated me and how many people’s lives he touched. I can think of hundreds of players I have watched play for him at OCC that went on to do great things in life. I see first-hand what a great job he did with his children. He was a many who loved sports. I can think of thousands of games over the years I looked up and saw Charlie sitting and watching a basketball game or baseball or even a golf tournament.
I’m going to miss talking with him and catching up. I am going to miss those phone calls asking me about coaching rumors and what I knew.
Perhaps what I will miss most is knowing that I could talk to a Hall of Fame coach anytime I wanted because he always had time for me.
Cody Thorn is the sports editor of the Neosho Daily News and can be reached at sports@neoshodailynews.com
Veteran coach Charlie Williams passes away
Joplin, Mo. —
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