Larry Williams, the athletic director at the University of San Francisco, passed away during a morning workout at War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center on campus on October 16, 2025.
He was married to Laura Lee, and they had five children: Kristin, Sean, Scott, Eric, and Louis.
Williams played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and earned second-team All-American honors twice.
The Cleveland Browns selected him in the tenth round with the 259th pick in the 1985 NFL draft. He played 42 games with the Browns from 1986 to 1988 and became a free agent in February 1989.
On March 7, 1989, the San Diego Chargers signed him, but he was released on September 3, 1990. Later, he played thirteen games for the New England Patriots and retired in 1993.
After his football career, he practiced law for six years for Baker & Daniels, an Indianapolis-based firm. However, he returned to Notre Dame in 1999 to work on licensing and product marketing for the athletic department.
Moreover, Williams became athletic director of the Portland Pilots of the University of Portland in June 2004. He was named the Marquette Golden Eagles’ new athletic director on December 5, 2011.
Similarly, he was the athletic director at the University of Akron from 2015 to 2021 and joined the University of San Francisco as its athletic director in 2022.
The University of San Francisco is saddened to announce the unexpected passing of Director of Athletics Larry Williams. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Williams family and the entire USF community.
University of San Francisco Athletics
Larry Williams’ Wife Laura Lee Williams: A Champion and Matriarch
Larry Williams’ wife, Laura Lee, is a woman of notable achievement in her own right.
Before raising a family, she was a star tennis player at the University of Notre Dame, where she made history as the school’s first women’s tennis national champion and earned the title of All-American.
Larry and Laura Lee built a remarkable family and raised five adult children: Kristin, Sean, Scott, Eric, and Louis. They took pride in their children’s accomplishments.
All of their children graduated from Jesuit high schools and went on to achieve great success.
They have excelled in athletics and academics, with careers spanning law, the U.S. Army, media production, and diplomatic service.
Kristin, a rower at Santa Clara University who holds a law degree, serves as the senior associate commissioner/senior woman administrator for the Mid-American Conference.
Sean played football and graduated from Yale. Later, he earned a master’s degree at Marquette before serving in the U.S. Army.
Just like Sean, Scott also played football and graduated from Yale. He earned a master’s at Johns Hopkins and is now a media producer in Los Angeles.
Similarly, Eric followed in their brother’s footsteps and graduated from Yale, where he also played football. He earned a master’s at Johns Hopkins and currently serves as a diplomat in Abu Dhabi.
Nontheless, Louis recently graduated from the University of Akron with degrees in finance and marketing.
We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Marquette Athletic Director Larry Williams. Larry was a strong, committed leader whose passion for the holistic development of student-athletes left a lasting mark on Marquette University and collegiate athletics.
Marquette Golden Eagles
The family is now preparing to honor Larry Williams, who passed away on October 16, 2025, at the age of 62. Details for services will be shared with the community at a later time.
Rest in Peace, Lawrence Richard Williams II.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Lawrence Richard Williams II was born on July 3, 1963, in Orange, California.
- He attended Mater Dei High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1985.
- He earned a J.D. degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1992.
