Sports

Legendary Red Devils hoops coach Williams retires

• After earning his 1,000th win late last year, longtime Randolph-Clay boys basketball coach Joe Williams — who has 46 total seasons under his belt — confirms to The Herald on Friday that he will not return to the Red Devils sideline next season.

Scott Chancey

CUTHBERT — All good things must come to an end, right?

Randolph-Clay boys basketball coach Joe Williams told The Herald on Friday night he has retired after a 46-year career spanning 1,015 victories, six state titles and what once was a state-record 90-game winning streak.

“It wasn’t a hard decision,” Williams said. “I had the mindset early on this was going to be my last season. I just felt this was the best time.”

He added he will remain at the school fulfilling a part-time role in administration as he has done in recent years.

After he began coaching at the school during the 1979-80 season, Williams — whose team’s 90-game winning streak began in the fall of 2003 and included back-to-back state championships before losing against Southwest Atlanta Christian in the 2006 Class A semifinals — even has a suggestion as to whom should be his replacement: former Thomasville coach and current Red Devils assistant Tyrone Kellogg.

“That’s my choice, but they haven’t asked me yet,” Williams laughed.

Williams began his coaching career in 1962 at his alma matter, Speight, where he led his team to a GIA championship in 1969. He then won a GHSA Class B title in 1979 at Clay County. Then as the coach at Randolph-Clay, he won Class AA titles in 1983, ’86, ’04 and a Class A crown in 2005.

Williams said Randolph-Clay reached so many Final Fours, he actually lost count. He also coached numerous star players, such as current Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis and former Naismith National Player of the Year/McDonald’s All-American Donnell Harvey.

Last season’s Red Devils, undefeated before losing in the GHSA Class AA quarterfinals against Dublin in the Elite Eight, featured perhaps a fond star player — his grandson, DeAndre Johnson, who signed with Valdosta State on Friday morning.

“To be honest, I can’t believe he’s giving it up,” Johnson said. “I think it’s going to be something both he and the county will take time getting used to. It will be just different not seeing him on the bench.”

Williams, who was absent on the Red Devils bench at times this season because of health concerns, coached Randolph-Clay in this year’s playoffs.

Now that Williams has stepped away from the game, he doesn’t know how he will react when next season starts.

“It hasn’t hit me yet,” Williams said. “I will probably miss it more when basketball season starts back up.”

Johnson, however, has an idea for Williams’ free time.

“He can see more of my games at Valdosta State,” he laughed.

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