Seneca Valley boys soccer coach George Williams hits another milestone in career full of them
George Williams knew all about winning before ever stepping foot on Seneca Valley’s campus.
He’s been teaching generations of boys soccer players that secret ever since he arrived.
Williams, 56, is in his 32nd season as the Raiders head coach. He’s compiled an overall record of 403-171-37 with the program. That includes 14 WPIAL section crowns, three WPIAL titles, three district runner-up finishes, two state championships and two state runner-up finishes.
“Win No. 400, 300, 200, 100 … those numbers aren’t what (coaching) is about,” Williams said. “Sure, you want to put your kids in a position to be successful in soccer. But you always want to teach them valuable things they can carry with them throughout life.
“To me, that’s what makes a coach.”
Seneca Valley athletic director Heather Lewis said: “George’s record is a symbol of his brilliance. I’ve been here 15 years and can’t recall him having a bad season. Sustained excellence like that is very hard to achieve.”
Williams played soccer at Fox Chapel High School and was part of a WPIAL championship team his senior year. He went on to play for Bethany College (W.Va.) and was an assistant coach when the Bison won an NCAA Division III national championship in 1994.
He wound up at Seneca Valley School District the following year as an art teacher at Ryan Gloyer Middle School and the Raiders’ coach.
“I am truly blessed to be here. I’ve never wanted to leave,” Williams said.
Williams’ first team at Seneca Valley finished 10-6-1. He was coaching the Raiders for five years before making the WPIAL playoffs, 20 years before winning a state tournament game.
“People were moving into the Cranberry area, and our club and cup teams started coming around,” Williams said. “That eventually translated into more success at the high school level.”
WPIAL championships came in 2018, 2020 and 2021. State titles were won in 2020 and 2022. From 2015 to 2025, the Raiders finished at least runner-up in the WPIAL or PIAA tournaments 10 times. They are leading their section again this season.
“I’ve been around high school sports for a long time, and George is the best coach I’ve ever worked with,” Lewis said. “He’s evolved as kids have evolved. He’s always been able to communicate with young people in a very positive way.
“If I ever had to paint a picture of what a high school coach should be, I’d just pull George Williams’ mug shot.”
Williams credits his assistant coaches for much of his success. Jay Roman has coached with him for more than a decade. Scott Stewart, Nathan Baldwin and Austin Myers are among former SV players he coached who have since joined his staff.
“That means the world to me,” Williams said. “It’s extremely rewarding, very flattering to have kids I used to coach want to join my staff and give back. That’s very special.
“You talk about milestones. Between varsity and JV, Jay and I are approaching 300 wins coaching. That’s pretty special to us, too.”
Williams credits his wife and three daughters for supporting his coaching through the years. His family lives in the Mars Area School District. Two of his daughters played soccer for Mars while the other was a cheerleader there.
Any thoughts of 500 wins aren’t in Williams’ head right now.
“I figure I’ll coach another four or five years or so. That number’s probably out of my reach,” he said, chuckling.
