2008 Woodie Awards
Coach, former student reunite for NU-OU matchup
Tyler Bassinger
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Sports
One of gymnastics' most storied rivalries will be renewed on Friday, as the No. 10 Nebraska men's gymnastics team will face the No. 6-ranked Sooners in a dual in Norman, Okla.
The meeting will give one teacher a third chance to beat his former pupil. Oklahoma Coach Mark Williams, a former gymnast at Nebraska, got the best of his old coach, Nebraska head man Francis Allen, in the teams' previous two meetings this season.
Williams was an All-American on the high bar in 1978 and helped the Huskers win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1979 and 1980. He stayed on as a graduate assistant under Allen in 1981 for Nebraska's third of five straight national titles. Allen still recalls what made his former star so successful.
"He was really a student of gymnastics," Allen said. "He really studied gymnastics, but I didn't know at the beginning that he was going to be a coach."
When Allen held gymnastics clinics around the nation, Williams would tag along, teaching younger gymnasts and honing his education skills. After coaching in the high school ranks for seven years, he caught on as an assistant at Oklahoma in 1988.
Since taking the head coaching reigns at OU in 2000, Williams has captured four national titles in the past six seasons. His teams have finished in the top four in every season of his tenure. Williams said the way his program was built was inspired by Allen's Nebraska teams.
"I think that it was a tremendous model for any program," Williams said. "Certainly he was the envy of any coach in gymnastics during the early 1980s. Being a part of that, I just felt like it would be great to re-create that and be a part of that with my own program. I think I carried a lot of the information that (Allen) provided to here at (Oklahoma)."
Williams' teams have dominated Nebraska in particular. When the Huskers led the Sooners at the end of the fourth rotation on Jan. 20, Allen said it was the first time Nebraska had a lead against Oklahoma in four years. The fact that many of Williams' victories have come against the man who once taught him has been particularly satisfying.
"The first couple of times (we beat NU) it was kind of special because I had such admiration for (Allen) as a coach," he said. "It was a big milestone for Oklahoma just to beat Nebraska teams. Now I try to put my teams in position to win championships, so now Nebraska is another team on our schedule. It's not quite the same now that we've done it a few times, but I still feel like he's taught me some of the lessons to be successful.
"Maybe he shouldn't have taught me as well as he did."
Despite the pupil's dominance against his teacher, Williams still maintains a high level of respect for Allen. The two remain friends, seeing each other several times during the season and talking on the phone occasionally.
"Obviously, our relationship has evolved a little bit," Williams said. "Still, I think he is one of the greatest people I've ever been involved with. I owe him tremendous amounts for the career I had and in getting some of the opportunities I've had as a coach."
Allen is quick to lightheartedly point out that Williams has a favorable position as far as recruiting goes. He said that NU loses out on many star gymnasts from Texas because Oklahoma is much closer to home for the prospects. In fact, Allen mentioned that Williams could win multiple titles with only Texas athletes.
Allen said he plans to change that trend, even if it requires taking baby steps. Last year, the NU coach sent Williams a tiny Nebraska jersey for his newborn son.
"I made sure I put the jersey on him and took a picture, then e-mailed it back to him," Williams said. "He was crawling around Oklahoma with Nebraska gear on."
TYLERBASSINGER@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
The meeting will give one teacher a third chance to beat his former pupil. Oklahoma Coach Mark Williams, a former gymnast at Nebraska, got the best of his old coach, Nebraska head man Francis Allen, in the teams' previous two meetings this season.
Williams was an All-American on the high bar in 1978 and helped the Huskers win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1979 and 1980. He stayed on as a graduate assistant under Allen in 1981 for Nebraska's third of five straight national titles. Allen still recalls what made his former star so successful.
"He was really a student of gymnastics," Allen said. "He really studied gymnastics, but I didn't know at the beginning that he was going to be a coach."
When Allen held gymnastics clinics around the nation, Williams would tag along, teaching younger gymnasts and honing his education skills. After coaching in the high school ranks for seven years, he caught on as an assistant at Oklahoma in 1988.
Since taking the head coaching reigns at OU in 2000, Williams has captured four national titles in the past six seasons. His teams have finished in the top four in every season of his tenure. Williams said the way his program was built was inspired by Allen's Nebraska teams.
"I think that it was a tremendous model for any program," Williams said. "Certainly he was the envy of any coach in gymnastics during the early 1980s. Being a part of that, I just felt like it would be great to re-create that and be a part of that with my own program. I think I carried a lot of the information that (Allen) provided to here at (Oklahoma)."
Williams' teams have dominated Nebraska in particular. When the Huskers led the Sooners at the end of the fourth rotation on Jan. 20, Allen said it was the first time Nebraska had a lead against Oklahoma in four years. The fact that many of Williams' victories have come against the man who once taught him has been particularly satisfying.
"The first couple of times (we beat NU) it was kind of special because I had such admiration for (Allen) as a coach," he said. "It was a big milestone for Oklahoma just to beat Nebraska teams. Now I try to put my teams in position to win championships, so now Nebraska is another team on our schedule. It's not quite the same now that we've done it a few times, but I still feel like he's taught me some of the lessons to be successful.
"Maybe he shouldn't have taught me as well as he did."
Despite the pupil's dominance against his teacher, Williams still maintains a high level of respect for Allen. The two remain friends, seeing each other several times during the season and talking on the phone occasionally.
"Obviously, our relationship has evolved a little bit," Williams said. "Still, I think he is one of the greatest people I've ever been involved with. I owe him tremendous amounts for the career I had and in getting some of the opportunities I've had as a coach."
Allen is quick to lightheartedly point out that Williams has a favorable position as far as recruiting goes. He said that NU loses out on many star gymnasts from Texas because Oklahoma is much closer to home for the prospects. In fact, Allen mentioned that Williams could win multiple titles with only Texas athletes.
Allen said he plans to change that trend, even if it requires taking baby steps. Last year, the NU coach sent Williams a tiny Nebraska jersey for his newborn son.
"I made sure I put the jersey on him and took a picture, then e-mailed it back to him," Williams said. "He was crawling around Oklahoma with Nebraska gear on."
TYLERBASSINGER@DAILYNEBRASKAN.COM
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