The Brief
USF Athletic Director Larry Williams died on campus Thursday while working out, the University confirmed.
Williams, who had been at the helm of the department since 2022, was 62 years old.
He had an eight-year stint in the NFL before earning a law degree and transitioning to a career in athletics.
SAN FRANCISCO – The University of San Francisco announced that its athletic director, Larry Williams, died on campus Thursday while working out.
What we know
Williams was 62. He was using the War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center on campus, university officials said in a statement.
USF President Salvador D. Aceves in a written statement, offered condolences to the Williams family, including his wife Laura, and his five children, Kristen, Sean, Scott, Eric and Louis. He leaves behind grandchildren and an extended family.
A cause of death was not disclosed.
The backstory
Williams took his position at USF in August 2022.
“Larry was more than just an administrator. He was a champion for meeting people’s needs,” said Ray Kim, director of community engagement for Exceptional Sports, a youth program for kids with special needs. Williams made sure that the program, which once a week would involve members of the university’s basketball teams as mentors, was a priority in the athletics department. “He was such a staunch advocate of changing the world from here, which is the school’s motto.”
He was described as a devout Catholic who incorporated prayer, scripture reading, and reflection as part of his daily routine and in how he shaped the athletics department.
“He just seemed like a very positive, encouraging person, who was really passionate about getting the best for us student athletes, so it was just really sad to hear,” said Lucy Ambrose, a member of the university’s triathlon team.
Williams was born in Orange County. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, where he was a two-time All-American football player, the university president’s statement read.
He had an eight-year stint in the NFL, beginning when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns straight out of college. Williams also played for the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.
He earned a law degree while playing for the NFL and in1993, when he retired from pro football, he practiced law in Indianapolis, before eventually making his way out west, when he began his career as an athletic director by joining West Coast Conference colleagues at University of Portland in 2004.
“Larry was particularly proud of his family. All of his children graduated from Jesuit high schools and all were college athletes like their father and mother,” President Acevedes said in his statement.
What’s next
USF is providing students, faculty and staff with supportive resources as they process the grief of Williams’ loss.
In the interim, Stephanie Shrieve-Hawkins, the deputy athletic director since August 2024, will fill the role.