Don Williams

Don Williams, a 1953 graduate of Taylorville High School is one of the few athletes who not only got to play for his high school but also got to come back to be coach of the Tornadoes' Boys Basketball team longer than any coach in the school's history. He was inducted into the Taylorville High School Hall of Fame, November 6. 1997

As a player, Don Williams played a supporting role as a junior on the 1952 basketball team that was Taylorville's last to advance to the state tournament quarterfinals in Champaign. As a senior, he led the Tornadoes to a 19-7 record. Basketball was not Williams only sport at Taylorville High School, he also was a catcher on the baseball team, lettering two years. 

After graduating from Taylorville High School, Williams attended and played basketball at Beloit College. He lettered three years at Beloit, earned College Division All-American Honorable Mention in both 1956 and 1957 and was named team captain his senior year. While at Beloit, he also earned three letters playing baseball for the Buccaneers.

Following his graduation from Beloit, Don Williams began his high school coaching career as an assistant coach at Debuque, Iowa. In 1960 he moved to Rockford, Illinois to serve as an assistant coach at Rockford Auburn High School under the legendary Dolph Stanley. After coaching at Rockford for seven years, Williams moved to Pekin where he was assistant to Dowdy Hawkins.

In the fall of 1968, Williams became the varsity head coach at his Alma mater, Taylorville High School where his first team went 19-9 and won his first of three Mid-State Conference Championships. The 1969 team also were regional champions. His team repeated as conference champions in 1970 and 1976 and then won the Apollo Championship 1993.

With the final win for the Apollo Championship in 1993, Don Williams ended his coaching career at Taylorville High School with 219 wins, second only to Dolph Stanley's incredible record.

In 1976 Don Williams was selected Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year and in 1993 he was selected Apollo Conference Coach of the Year.