St. Augustine’s University fires longtime track coach

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — George Williams, longtime track and field coach at St. Augustine’s College and a former coach with the U.S. Olympic team, has been fired, his attorney said Wednesday.

Nicholas Sanservino Jr., the attorney representing Williams, released a statement confirming that the 78-year-old coach had been fired on Wednesday without cause by the historically black college in Raleigh, North Carolina.

“Coach Williams will vigorously fight for his rights so he can continue to serve the students and greater community.,” Sanservino said in the statement. “If there was ever an individual who should be able to complete his mission on his terms, it is coach Williams. ”

Williams, who was not available for comment, is scheduled to address his firing on Thursday, Sanservino said.

Williams led his alma mater’s track and field teams for 43 seasons, winning 39 NCAA Division II championships, the most of any active coach, and he also guided more than 40 Olympians. He coached the U.S. Olympic team in 2004.

In 2011, St. Augustine’s opened the George Williams Sports Complex, a 2,500-seat stadium on campus.

Williams is a member of various halls of fame, including the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.