The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Williams, Strong followed winning formulas for success beyond wins
There probably is a mathematical equation here to prove their success. There certainly are similarities.
Fred Williams and Dave Strong were math teachers. Both were athletic directors. Both had daughters play for them and coach with them. Both were good athletes and neither especially good basketball players. Both remained at the same school just shy of forever.
What the two have been the best at is winning basketball games.
With the next one Williams will equal Strong’s state record of 704 victories. It could come Thursday in No. 1 seed Northwestern’s second-round game of the CIAC Class MM girls playoffs.
“If someone is going to break the record, I’m very happy it is Fred,” said Strong, who coached 35 years at Masuk. “He is an even better person than he is a basketball coach.”
They have known each other for decades. They’ve served on various committees together.
“Dave is one great person and coach,” said Williams in his 45th year at Northwestern. “When and if 704 and 705 happens, I feel Dave was the superior coach. His winning percentage is a whole lot higher than mine. He did such a super job for a long time. I have a lot of respect for him.”
What they do not share is the same story as how they got into coaching basketball.
In his first year of teaching math at Masuk, Strong was assigned to chaperone a school dance. A girl had too much to drink and, well, some of it would end up on Strong.
“I was assigned to the inside of the boys’ bathroom,” he said. “When I took a break and went outside, that’s when the girl threw up on me. I was