‘Great sadness.’ Beloved teacher, football coach at Fresno Unified dies unexpectedly

Gaston Middle School employees and families were mourning Friday after learning of the death of Kevin Williams.

Williams was the school’s head football coach. He was also an assistant basketball coach and career technical education teacher at the junior high in southwest Fresno’s Edison High region.

In a message to families late Thursday, Gaston school leaders said Williams’ passing was “unexpected” but didn’t share any details.

The school planned to deploy psychologists and offer extra social-emotional supports Friday for students struggling with the sudden loss.

“I realize that this can be extremely upsetting for students, staff, parents, and the entire school community,” the message reads, “since Mr. Williams’ positive impact reached beyond our school walls.”

Tributes to Williams poured out from community members and employees in Fresno Unified’s Edison region Thursday and Friday.

“We have lost one of our Edison Region soldiers,” said the region’s school board trustee, Keshia Thomas, in a statement to The Bee’s Education Lab. “You know a person is special when kids (students) love them.”

Students who knew and loved Coach Williams were left devastated, said Gaston campus safety assistant Greg Hardemon. He worked alongside Williams as an assistant football coach.

“It really caught a variety of kids off guard,” he said. “Today I took them into (Williams’) classroom, we sat in there, and they were just like, ‘Man, it’s an eerie feeling.’”

Hardemon said Williams was just as impactful in the classroom and after-school clubs, where he taught students robotics and 3D modeling, helped them learn to type and build websites, and even coordinated e-sports challenges for them.

The Black Student Union at Edison and Gaston took to Instagram to speak to Williams’ impact on the student body in a joint post.

“He had a profound impact on youth in southwest Fresno, Gaston Middle School, and at Edison High School,” the post reads. “Rest In Power, Mr. Kevin Williams.”

Mike Stamps, the football coach at Edison High School, told the Ed Lab Williams was passionate about “making good people” out of the young players he coached, calling his sudden passing “awful.”

A moment of silence in Williams’ honor was planned prior to Friday night’s high school football game between the Edison Tigers and Bullard Knights.