Robert Williamson

"The main thing about winning 400 games at one school or staying at one place for a long time is loyalty," said assistant athletic trainer Robert Williamson, who has worked at ULM for more than 20 years himself."It's loyalty to a program and loyalty to a system.
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"Being from this area, growing up a few miles down the road in a small community, you learn the values of loyalty, hard work and sticking to something," Williamson said.
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You won't find Robert Williamson's name listed in any basketball record books.
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Along with Vining, Williamson been there and watched every one of them.
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"To the best of my knowledge, I've seen all of them," Williamson said.

Although his duties and job description have changed over the years, Williamson has been part of the Indian basketball program for more than 20 years.After starting as a student assistant and then a graduate assistant, Williamson joined the Indians training staff full-time in 1983.
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Thus, Williamson stuck with basketball and has been at his coach's side for each and every one of those Vining victories.

"Each year, each day is a new adventure," Williamson said."Each day is a new challenge in all of the aspects that we deal with around here.It's always just another season of trying to do the best we can do.

"He tries to coach the best that he can coach, we ask the kids to play as hard as they can play and I try to do my job to the best of my ability."

In a sport where countless players and numerous assistant coaches have come and gone, Williamson has been as familiar a figure on the ULM bench as Vining.
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"As a head coach, the best thing about Vining is his consistency," Williamson said.
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Williamson has been with Vining through six 20-win seasons, nine conference titles and seven NCAA Tournament appearances.
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"Jeez," Williamson said.
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Williamson doesn't have much time to reminisce this time of year.

During the basketball season, Williamson not only operates the training facility at Fant-Ewing Coliseum and handles the team's training needs, but he also coordinates all aspects of team travel.He has also been an instructor in the Kinesiology Department since 1988.
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Said Williamson: "He's a good man to work for.

Robert Williamson has been part of ULM history during his three decades as an athletic trainer. Paul J. Letlow/The News-Star | More
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For 31 years, Robert Williamson had a part-time gig in ULM athletics that gradually evolved into several full-time occupations - even as he handled his day job teaching classes at the university.

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Busy doesn't begin to describe the lifestyle that Williamson chose.Marathon bus rides and morning classes.Afternoon practice and night games.Frankly, he's earned a break.

So, this week, Williamson is wrapping up his career as the school's assistant athletic trainer.
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Williamson will remain at ULM as an instructor, but leaves a gaping hole in the department.The hours were grueling, but Williamson stuck with it because of his dedication to his craft and the school.

"I've got some good friends in this profession that I made over the years," said Williamson, who has heard from old buddies in the Southland Conference and elsewhere wishing him well.

On top of teaching classes and serving as the primary trainer for men's basketball, Williamson was also the team's travel agent in recent years.He'd book rooms and make accommodations for meals on road trips.On long trips, he remained alert to keep the bus driver awake.

"I won't miss the lack of time," Williamson said."I did so many things at so many different times.What little time I had was valuable to me."

Williamson came on board as a student assistant at the former Northeast Louisiana in 1977.
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"He ruled his little empire," Williamson said.
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Williamson served under four basketball coaches - Lenny Fant, Benny Hollis, Vining and Orlando Early.
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"Calvin Natt has to be at the top of the list," Williamson said.
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"He was misunderstood a lot," Williamson said.
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Williamson, who only missed a couple of games in his entire tour of duty, was part of the program's seven NCAA tournament trips.
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Williamson even treated referees, when they had nagging ailments.

"I treated them like I would any of our players," he said."They are part of the game."

Williamson was involved in a number of sports over the years.He's traveled with softball, tennis and track and worked with football, primarily during the preseason.

But most of Williamson's time was spent with the basketball coaches and athletes.

"Coach Fant was a good person to be around," Williamson said.
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While Vining was winning 402 games over 24 years as head coach, Williamson was right by his side.
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"That was the reason I had the longevity," Williamson said."We had such a good working relationship together.We thought along the same lines."

Williamson knew what toppings Vining liked on his pizza and how he wanted his fast-food chicken sandwich prepared.He knew where Vining liked to shop on certain road stops, like the Polo shop in San Marcos, Texas, or Cavender's Boot City in Arlington."He was the king shopper," Williamson joked.

Their relationship is so special, Williamson planned to leave when Vining did.
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A Pineville native, Williamson realized in junior high that athletic training was a field of interest.His lack of success as a football player helped him move into a different role as team manager, where he learned basic first aid.

"I got the groundwork there," Williamson said.

Factor in those formative years, and he's actually spent nearly 40 years in the profession.

"I worked with every sport in high school," Williamson said."Anything that went, I was with ‘em."

During a series of summer camps for student athletic trainers, Williamson met and made an impression on Martin.
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"Charlie was interested and offered me a work-study scholarship," Williamson said.
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"My mother wanted me to come home," Williamson said.

But Williamson, it turns out, was already home.He stuck around for three decades of tireless service.

Now he'll have more time to spend with his wife of 16 years, Emily - and their multitude of pets.

The man is looking forward to it.

"I'll enjoy the time with Emily and helping her do some things," Williamson said.
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Robert Williamson has been part of ULM history during his three decades as an athletic trainer.Purchase this Photo

Robert Williamson has been part of ULM history during his three decades as an athletic trainer. (Paul J. Letlow/The News-Star)
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Robert Williamson, ULM trainer

Robert Williamson - Assistant Athletic Trainer, University of Louisiana at Monroe

Sports information director Adam Prendergast brought in former assistant athletic trainer Robert Williamson to help with spotting.

Robert Williamson, ULM trainer
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Robert Williamson performs one of the many tasks of his job during the Sun Belt Conference basketball tournament.

Robert Williamson, Assistant 342-5381 perwilliamso@ulm.edu

The Indians got more bad news Thursday night when their top long-range shooter, Aaron Branch, suffered an elbow injury that will cause him to miss the SLU game and possibly others, according to basketball trainer Robert Williamson.

ULM's assistant athletics trainer Robert Williamson responded recently when asked to share some of his fondest memories of the past two decades inside the program.

Robert Williamson Assistant Trainer 342-1316 rwilliamson@ulm.edu

"Each win is special, but some really stand out such as the 1992 game at Texas-San Antonio for the trip to the SLC championship game," said longtime ULM basketball trainer Robert Williamson."We were second-seed and not given much of a chance."Williamson has been on the Indian bench since 1977."UTSA's players had actually rented limos and wore tuxedos to the game to celebrate their victory," Williamson said.
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"My dad never raised his voice and neither does Coach Vining," Williamson said.
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three grown children, Todd, Heather and Robin. Todd says the fact that his father has stayed in one place has made their family life special.