With six NCEA overall national championships at Auburn, head equestrian coach Greg Williams has become one of the most respected coaches in the sport. He put the program on the map with its first title in 2006 and has taken home five championships in the past 12 years. Now in his 28th season at the helm, and 21st as a varsity sport, Williams has continued to add wealth and prestige to Auburn equestrian.

The Paragould, Ark., native orchestrated the building of the Auburn University Equestrian Center since the university's club program debuted in 1996 and helped to change the club program to Auburn's 21st varsity sport.
 
Since the 2002-03 season, the Tigers have totaled six national titles (2006, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019), five Hunt Seat national titles (2008, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019), one Western national title (2018), five Southeastern Conference titles (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022), and three Southern Equestrian championships (2004, 2010, 2011). His student-athletes have combined for 113 All-America accolades since the 2010-11 season and have totaled 130 All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC selections.
 
In addition to excelling in competition, Williams' teams have also produced in the classroom. Auburn has 97 NCEA Scholastic All-Americans since the organization began recognizing the honor in the spring of 2013.
 
Individually, Williams has been named the SEC Coach of the Year four times (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022) and NCEA Coach of the Year twice (2019, 2020).
 
Most recently, Williams led the Tigers to their fourth-straight SEC crown in 2021-22 and the squad finished the year with a 10-4 mark. Taylor Searles won her second-consecutive SEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year award, while also picking up the same honor in the NCEA. Emma Kurtz and Ava Stearns each brought home yearly honors as Kurtz was awarded SEC Fences Rider of the Year and Stearns was voted NCEA Flat Rider of the Year.
 
The Tigers put together an 8-1 record in 2020-21, finishing undefeated in the regular season and taking home the SEC title. Auburn had a wealth of individual awards, sweeping the SEC Riders of the Year honors – Taylor St. Jacques (Flat & Fences), Searles (Horsemanship), Boo Kammerer (Reining) – and having three SEC Freshman Riders of the Year – Ellie Ferrigno (Flat), Isabella Tesmer (Reining), Madison Parduhn (Horsemanship).
 
Auburn continued its unbeaten streak in 2019-20, finishing the shortened season with a 13-0 mark. The squad was named the outright SEC champion and had 12 All-America honors. In addition, three Tigers were named NCEA Riders of the Year in McKayla Langmeier (Fences), St. Jacques (Flat) and Deanna Green (Horsemanship). Terri-June Granger (Reining) joined the trio as SEC Riders of the Year.
 
In addition, Auburn swept the Freshman Riders of the Year honors in the SEC.
 
The 2019 squad took Auburn’s success to a new level, becoming the first program in the sport’s history to go unbeaten with an 18-0 mark. The team captured Auburn’s sixth national crown as well as its second SEC title.
 
In addition, the team came home with two more trophies from the national meet – Hunt Seat Champion and Equitation on the Flat Champion.
 
Individually, Auburn set a record with 19 NCEA All-America honors, while 12 secured SEC recognition. Searles, Langmeier and St. Jacques were named national Riders of the Year in their respective events. Lauren Diaz and Caitlin Boyle joined St. Jacques as SEC Rider of the Year winners, while Langmeier took home both Hunt Seat freshman awards.
 
In 2018, Auburn came home with five of a possible seven NCEA trophies – National Champion, Hunt Seat Champion, Western Champion, Equitation Over Fences Champion, Horsemanship Champion.
 
Individually, Hayley Iannotti was awarded the SEC Flat Co-Rider of the Year, while Betsy Brown picked up Reining Co-Rider of the Year. Auburn also took home at least a share of all four Freshman Riders of the Year awards. St. Jacques was named both Freshman Flat and Fences ROY, while Green picked up the honor in Horsemanship and Granger was awarded the Reining nod.
 
The 2016 season was another big year for the Tigers as the squad finished with a 16-1 overall record en route to NCEA and SEC crowns. Nine Tigers combined for 10 NCEA All-America honors, while 13 were recognized by the conference in the postseason. Elizabeth Benson concluded her decorated Auburn career as the SEC Co-Flat Rider of the Year, while classmate Griffin Knight earned SEC Co-Horsemanship Rider of the Year accolades.
 
Williams captured his third national team title in 2013 after defeating Georgia, 3-1, in a ride-off competition. The Tigers also won the Hunt Seat National Championship that season. In 2011, Auburn took home the overall NCEA and Hunt Seat titles after capturing its last Southern Equestrian championship. 
 
The 2005-06 season was one for the record books as the program rode to its first Varsity Equestrian National Championship and its first Southern Equestrian crown.
 
A year after becoming a varsity sport, Williams' Tigers upset the competition to become the 2004 Southern Equestrian Champions - the first championship in the program's history. That same year, Williams led Auburn to an incredible runner-up finish at the Varsity Equestrian Championships.
 
In the Auburn's inaugural varsity season, Williams guided the Tigers to the IHSA National Finals in both the Hunt Seat and Western disciplines.
 
Williams graduated from Auburn University with a bachelor's degree in Animal Sciences in 1986.
His career in the horse industry began at a young age as he showed horses and competed in rodeos. His mother also competed, passing on her passion for horses to Williams.
 
Williams' beginning years as a professional were spent in the South and the Southwest, training pleasure horses as well as cutting, haltering and roping horses. These horses were shown at Futurities, Congress and World shows. He began his work at Auburn, running the Horse Teaching and Researching Unit. He also continued his professional showing career during his first years back.
 
Williams and his wife, Sandi, have two daughters, Toni and Erica. Both daughters are married to Auburn graduates. Williams is a proud grandfather of Graeme Odin Farrell (2017), Cassidy June Patrick (2020) and Conor Orion Farrell (2021).

* - denotes National Champion