Editor’s note: this is the final profile of the 2019 Marysville High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductees.
Today’s profile is about retired MHS head wrestling coach Bob Williams, who will be inducted this evening.
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Retired Marysville High School head wrestling coach Bob Williams is honored to be going into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
However, he’s quick to give the real credit to those who he feels deserve the most praise.
“Our athletes did the actual work,” said Williams, who will be inducted into the HOF tonight. “When you have good athletes, you get good results.
“We as coaches often get a free pass,” he said. “You have to be fortunate enough to coach good kids who are willing to put in the time and sacrifice in order to be the best they can be.”
Williams served as Marysville’s head wrestling coach for 17 years, beginning with the 1981-82 season.
Along the way, he guided 25 athletes to the state tournament. Of that number, 10 earned their way to the awards podium, including 1992 state champion Luke Wimmers, who is also in the Hall of Fame.
Williams, who earned Central District coach of the year honors in 1991 and 1992, said his main goal was always to promote the strength of the Monarch mat program.
“We wanted folks to know that when they faced Marysville, they were going to have to work to beat us,” he said.
“I always wanted to develop our wrestlers to reach their full potential,” said Williams. “That’s an individual thing and it doesn’t take the same approach with every wrestler. What works for some kids may not work for others.
“We wanted to do that while also stressing the team aspect of the sport,” he said. “That’s what Shawn (current Monarch head coach Andrews) does.”
During his career, Williams, who is now an official and works the scorer’s table at the state tournament, began the practice of taking Monarch matmen to competitions in various parts of Ohio.
“We wanted to expose the guys to different wrestling styles from around the state,” he said. “Always before, Marysville basically wrestled in central Ohio.
“In order to have success at the state tournament, you have to compete against different types of wrestling,” he said. “That prepared them for tougher competition down the road.
“You can’t be a big fish in a little pond,” said Williams. “You have to go out into the deep water.”
The former Monarch coach said that while the HOF honor is personally gratifying, he’s more pleased that the sport of wrestling is receiving additional attention.
“I think that some day, Shawn will be inducted into the Hall of Fame,” said Williams. “Lenard (former head coach Andrews) was inducted a few years ago and now I’m going in.
“That will be three consecutive coaches from the same sport in the Hall of Fame,” he said. “That’s good recognition for the sport.”
Williams, who taught social studies at Marysville’s Middle School for 31 years, said he’s pleased with the progress that Monarch wrestling has achieved since he stepped down from the program in the late 1990s.
“Lenard was able to take it to another level and Shawn has taken it even another step,” he said.