Former Vanderbilt Commodores vice chancellor and athletic director David Williams has died, the university announced Friday. He was 71.
Williams, the SEC's first black athletic director, announced his retirement in September, and a party to celebrate his retirement had been planned for Friday night.
"David Williams stood tall on this campus, in this city and in college athletics nationally as an incomparable leader, role model and dear friend to me and so many others," Vanderbilt chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos said in a statement. "We are devastated by this loss. His impact on our community is immeasurable and will be felt for generations to come.