TURLOCK, Calif. — A mentor to kids at Turlock High School, both on and off the court, was killed in a car accident Friday.
"I think, if you want to talk about what you feel a role model is, I would say it would be John," said Doug Cornfoot, coach and colleague of John Williams for more than 20 years.
Cornfoot said Williams died in an accident while heading to varsity basketball game at Pitman High School. He and Williams had just left a game at Modesto Christian and dropped him off at Turlock High for a different game. Afterward, Williams left to attend a third game at Pitman High when the crash happened.
"He took the brunt of the force and, yeah, it's still it's murky as far as the exact cause of what happened, but just going across town to a basketball game on a Saturday, you would never expect something like this to happen," said Cornfoot.
Rick Fetter, another coach and longtime colleague, said he and his wife rushed back to Turlock from a wedding after learning the news.
"My wife and I jumped in the car and got back to Turlock as fast as we could. And within that time, by time we got back to town, Coach Williams had passed away," said Fetter.
Fetter, Cornfoot and Williams were all longtime friends and colleagues, but on and off the courts, they were also like family.
"He was just somebody you wanted to be around you. From the second you saw him, it was either a hug or a big hearty handshake. And when he'd see my own kids, he'd embrace them and love them as if they were one of his own. It's hard to put into words; he was larger than life," said Fetter.
Cornfoot added that Williams stood at 6'8" and weighed over 300 pounds, but he was "just a big teddy bear" to those who knew him. He was also dedicated to his coaching and to the kids he coached.
Photos: Turlock High School Basketball Coach John Williams
"He just had that the right temperament to develop athletes, and but he could sit down and he could talk to these young teenage athletes and just talk to them and guide them and understand some of their backgrounds, understand some of their personal situations. And he could give a player a home. He can make them feel that sense of belonging. And I feel like we all felt that around him too. He just, he genuinely cared," said Fetter.
Cornfoot said coaching basketball was commitment Williams had passion for, working and traveling from November to February to support the team.
"He would go to work earlier so that he could be at home in time to be with the team and travel. So the commitment, that dedication, was unwavering with him," said Cornfoot.
"Just the day that it happened, he had the day off and instead of hanging out at his house, laying around or whatever, he was going to three basketball games," Cornfoot added. "He just loved the sport. He loved being around the kids. He loved being around the coaches, the atmosphere."
It's a love and passion that was returned by all the people he impacted. Cornfoot and Fetter said they've gotten calls and texts from others who shared stories of how Williams made an impact on their life or helped their sons or daughters through struggles.
"I think, overall, his whole coaching career was just one big victory, what he was able to accomplish. And I think that in itself, if you're looking for Hollywood (stories) or fairy tales, that's what it's all about. It's what he did," said Fetter.
A GoFundMe and Meal Train fundraiser were setup to support Williams' family at this time.
As for the Turlock High Bulldogs who've been under his coaching for the season, they're taking time to heal. Cornfoot said Saturday's game was canceled after the tragedy.
"We're going to see where we are as a team, mentally on Tuesday, and then just kind of pick up the pieces and try to move on and keep John in our hearts and and go from there," said Fetter.
The Turlock Unified School District said counselors will be available for anyone seeking support upon returning to school.
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