<noinclude> </noinclude>
Charles Robert Williams (August 1, 1877 â October 17, 1957) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. Williams coached at South Carolina, Davidson, Clemson, and Virginia Tech.
Williams was born on August 1, 1877, in Bland, Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia, where he was an end on the football team.
Graduating in 1902, Williams served as the Gamecocks' mentor for two seasons, 1902 and 1903, achieving 6âÂÂ1 and 8âÂÂ2 records. In 1902, he oversaw an upset of the rival Clemson Tigers, who were coached by John Heisman. This was the only game lost by the Tigers that year.
From 1904 to 1905 he coached at Davidson, where he compiled a 9âÂÂ5âÂÂ1 record.
Williams came to Clemson in 1906. The Tigers went undefeated with a 4âÂÂ0âÂÂ3 record, with wins over Georgia, Auburn, Tennessee, and the John Heisman-coached Georgia Tech team. Clemson's first forward pass took place on November 29, 1906, during the game with Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Left End Powell Lykes, dropped back to kick, but lobbed a 30-yard pass to George Warren instead. Clemson won, 10âÂÂ0.
Williams left for VPI for the 1907 season, leading them to a 7âÂÂ2 record.
Williams then returned to Clemson in 1909. The 1909 season was notable for the resumption of the Clemson-Carolina rivalry after a five-year gap, caused by a near-riot in October 1902. The Tigers enjoyed a 6âÂÂ3 season under Williams' guidance and defeated the Gamecocks, 6âÂÂ0, in Columbia on November 4.
Williams was replaced by Frank Dobson in 1910 who had a three-year run at the school. With Dobson's departure after the 1912 season, Williams returned for the second time to the Clemson head coaching position. He, too, served for three years, from 1913 to 1915. The Tigers produced records of 4âÂÂ4 in 1913, 5âÂÂ3âÂÂ1 in 1914, and 2âÂÂ4âÂÂ2 in 1915. In the 41 games that Williams coached in five seasons, he went 21âÂÂ14âÂÂ6, for a .585 winning percentage.
Between the years of 1915 and 1926, Williams practiced law in Roanoke, Virginia, and owned a contracting business with his brother. He also served as an official for college football games, including high profile games between Georgia Tech and Notre Dame in the early 1920s.
He returned to coach Clemson for the final five games of the 1926 season after Bud Saunders was fired.
Williams died after a stroke in DeLand, Florida, in 1957.