Mark Williams joined the Blues in February, 2018. Since arriving at U of T, Williams has guided the Varsity Blues rowing program to Top 5 finishes at both the Canadian University Rowing Championships (CURC) and the OUA championships, along with 14 individual OUA medals. In that time, six Varsity Blues have gone on to compete at the Senior World Championships, U23 World Championships, Pan American Games, and FISU Games; five representing Team Canada and one representing Team USA.
Prior to arriving in Toronto, Williams served as head coach and director of rowing for the Ohio State University Crew Club (OSUCC). There, Williams was in charge of the program development, recruitment and fundraising, while also leading the team to top results.
Under his guidance, the program garnered three Top 10 individual finishes at the ACRA national championships, along with two Top 6 team finishes and multiple medals at the MACRA regional championships. In 2017, a member of the OSU men’s team was invited to the USRowing U23 National Team selection camp, one of only three athletes invited from a non-varsity status club program that year, and the first invite for an Ohio State men’s team athlete in 11 years. In 2016 the OSU men's team brought home the States Cup for the first time since 2009, ending a multi-year streak of wins from rival Michigan State.
Williams has also coached internationally and domestically outside of the academic year. Prior to the pandemic, he was named lead men’s coach for Canada’s 2020 FISU team and in summer 2018 he coached the women’s double and lightweight women’s double for Canada at the World University Rowing Championships in Shanghai, China. In summer 2016, Williams coached the lightweight men’s program at Vesper Boat Club of Philadelphia to multiple club national championship titles and a Royal Canadian Henley title.
A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Williams began rowing in 2001 for Pioneer High School and competed for Denison University from 2002-06 before joining the Varsity Blues rowing team as a graduate student (2006-07) and finally the Western Mustangs rowing team (2011-13). As a coach, he served as the Western Mustangs junior varsity women's coach (2013-14), assistant coach (2013) and novice men's assistant coach (2009-10). He holds a PhD in kinesiology and a Master's of Arts, kinesiology and coaching specialization from Western University, as well as a bachelor of education from U of T and a bachelor of arts from Denison.
