Dothan will not renew Dirk William’ contract

By David Mundee

Published: May 21, 2008

The Dirk Williams era as Dothan’s head baseball coach is over. Williams, a 15-year veteran at Dothan, was officially relieved of his baseball duties at Monday night’s Dothan City Schools Board meeting.

The board took the action after a recommendation from principal Andrew Sewell.

Williams, however, maintained coaching duties in football and his job as physical education teacher at the school.

“He is the not the head baseball coach at this time,” Sewell said Tuesday afternoon. “By the end of the week, we should know what our next step is, but there will be new direction.”

Williams has been the Tigers’ head coach since 1993. Six of his teams made the state playoffs, but Dothan has not made the postseason since 2002.

“I have a lot of fond memories, and I have met a lot of great people,” Williams said of his association with Dothan’s baseball program. “I have no ill will toward anybody. I have had a lot of great times here. I had a lot of great support.

“I want to thank all the parents who have supported the program and the kids. I am also thankful for the administration that I have worked with through the years. I especially want to thank all the assistant coaches I have had and for all of their work.”

The Tiger program has struggled in recent years, winning only 47 games in the last seven seasons since the last winning season in 2001 (16-10).This past year, Dothan finished 6-20.

Sewell said the recent sag in the program was one of the reasons for his recommendation to relieve Williams.

“I hate to say that wins and loses were the reason, but it was a big part of it,” Sewell said. “The program has a look of being stagnant right now. There seems to be no progress.”

Williams, though, feels the Dothan program is about to make an upward turn. Six of the eight regular starters return for next year, as does most of the pitching.

“There are a lot of good, young kids here and they will be better next year,” Williams said. “That is kind of exciting. for them with all the returning starters.”

Sewell said that a job opening has not been officially posted.

“I want to do a complete review and reevaluation of the program,” Sewell said. “I am almost through with it. I expect to be finished by the end of the week.”

Williams was a star shortstop at Troy State under the legendary Chase Riddle from 1988-89. While at Troy, he was a two-time All-American, earning second-team status in 1989 and third-team in 1988.

He also earned All-Gulf South Conference honors in 1989.

His name is still scattered in the Trojan record books.

Heading into this season, he ranked fifth in career on-base percentage (.489) and was tied or third in sacrifice hits (16). His .410 batting average in 1989 ranks fifth in a season, and his 12 sacrifices in 1988 is second best in a season in Trojan history.

He led the 1989 Trojans in batting average (.410), hits (59), singles (46), doubles (11) and runs batted in (34). Williams is a member of the Troy baseball Hall of Fame, earning selection in 2003.

Prior to his years at Troy, Williams starred at Rutherford High School, then at Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City.

He came to Dothan in the 1993-94 academic year after coaching as an assistant for three years at Bay High School in Panama City.