Monty Williams is currently witnessing his best years as a coach in the NBA. He initially started as a basketball player as well, playing for five different teams, including the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. He played in the NBA during the 90s and his career spanned less than a decade. Monty was an essential role player but did not have too much of a flashy career.
In 2005, he began his journey as an NBA coach with the Portland Trail Blazers. He spent five years in Portland and shifted to New Orleans in 2010. There, he coached players like Anthony Davis and Chris Paul. Later he would take his expertise to OKC, the 76ers, and now the Suns. His career as a coach is far more decorated than when he was a player. As the saying goes, behind every successful man, there is a woman. Ingrid Williams was that person for over two long decades.
Ingrid Williams died in a car crash in 2016
A love story that lasted for longer than two decades, Monty Williams married his first wife Ingrid in 1995. Monty was fairly new to the NBA and was slowly coming up. They had five children together over their 20-year marriage including two boys and three girls. Unfortunately, as strong as their relationship was with each other, their story had a very tragic ending. The NBA coach was with the OKC Thunder during the time Ingrid passed away. It was certainly a challenging time for the coach.
Ingrid was involved in a terrible car crash in 2016. She was accompanied by her children Janna, Micah, and Faith that day. While driving, another car nearly ramped into theirs which ultimately caused the accident. According to The US Sun, the driver responsible for the accident was a 52-year-old female who was under the influence of methamphetamine. Susan Donaldson had also exceeded the speed limit. In an attempt to escape the accident, Ingrid took a sharp turn and went across the centerline.
Unfortunately, the bitter moment had Monty Williams left without his partner. The three children present in the car escaped life-threatening injuries, but Ingrid lost her life that very second. Coach is a firm believer in Christianity and during his wife’s eulogy, he was sure to express his faith by accepting his fate. Williams also acknowledged the other driver involved as a victim of the crash, which showed how forgiving he was.
Since then, Monty Williams has excelled in the sport of basketball. After successfully pulling through Olympic victories alongside Gregg Popovich, he finally had his chance to become greater than he was destined to be. He also began a new relationship with Lisa Keeth.