Williams to be Inducted into Hall of Fame

INDIANAPOLIS – USA Gymnastics announced Tuesday that University of Oklahoma men's gymnastics head coach Mark Williams will be one of nine members in the 2015 class of inductees into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

"It is an honor to be scheduled to be inducted into the 2015 USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame,” said Williams. “I have had some wonderful experiences coaching at Oklahoma and for team USA. The NCAA championships, World Championships and Olympic Games have been a thrill to be involved with.

“I have worked with some amazing athletes in the past 26 years at Oklahoma. I'd like to thank them for this tremendous journey we have shared and thank President Boren and Joe Castiglione as well for the opportunity and support they have given me to coach at such an outstanding university.”

Since the turn of the millennium, Williams has been one of the most prominent figures on both the collegiate and national levels of men's gymnastics. Since taking the reins of OU's program in 2000, Williams has captured five NCAA team titles (2002-03, 2005-06, 2008). Under Williams' guidance, the Sooners have achieved impressive results: 28 individual national titles, 155 All-America honors, 12 conference team titles, 50 individual conference winners and three Nissen Emery Award recipients (Steven Legendre, 2011; Jonathan Horton, 2008; and Daniel Furney, 2003).

Williams has also served as member of the U.S. coaching staff at each of the past three Olympic Games, serving as the personal coach for Guard Young (2004), Horton (2008) and Jake Dalton (2012). He was the assistant coach at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Williams has also been a member of the coaching staff at 11 World Championships, most recently serving as head coach of the 2014 World Championships Team that won the team bronze medal.

All of Williams' success and accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, as he has twice (2009, 2006) been named the USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year and has been honored with the collegiate National Coach of the Year five times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2008).

Williams is the only coach of the nine inductees, a group that includes gymnasts of six different disciplines, a judge and an administrator. The other members of the 2015 class are: Kristin Allen of Livermore, Calif., and Michael Rodrigues of Livermore, Calif., acrobatic gymnastics; Mohini Bhardwaj of Los Angeles, women's gymnastics; Jessica Howard of Jacksonville, Fla., rhythmic gymnastics; Terin Humphrey of Kansas City, Mo., women's gymnastics; Jennifer Sans of Burnsville, Minn., trampoline and tumbling.

Men's gymnastics judge and administrator Doug Hills of Portland, Ore., and the late David Moskovitz, Gymnastics for All and USA Gymnastics administrator, are the final members of the Class of 2015 who are receiving Lifetime Achievement honors.

"This is an incredible group of individuals, who have contributed to gymnastics in a variety of ways – from the competition floor to the judges' table and as a USA Gymnastics administrator,” said Steve Penny, president of USA Gymnastics. “Congratulations to all of our inductees, and thank you for your contributions to our great sport."

The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 14, during the 2015 P&G Gymnastics Championships and USA Gymnastics National Congress & Trade Show in Indianapolis.

To read the complete USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame release, click here.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Williams to be Inducted into Hall of Fame

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