Born in Greenville, North Carolina, Williams wrestled for Rose High School, placing third in the state championships at 112 lbs. in 1968. After high school, Ron earned a wrestling scholarship to East Carolina University where was coached by J. W. Welborn. He wrestled four years at ECU and was recognized as the Most Improved Wrestler in 1970. He placed third in the 1969 Southern Conference Tournament and second in 1972 at 118 lbs.  He was a two-time North Carolina State Collegiate Tournament Champion and a Virginia Open Champion. Earning a bachelor’s degree in Art Education, Williams went on to become the first African American to earn an M.A. in Sculpture from ECU.

After graduating from ECU, Williams was both art teacher and head wrestling coach at J. H. Rose High in Greenville. Under his guidance, the Rose High School wrestling teams won five conference championships and produced one individual state champion. In 1977, Rose was crowned the WRAL Team Champions. His coaching record at Rose High was 59-16. In 1978, Williams went to the newly opened Athens Drive High School in Raleigh, where he was head wrestling coach until 1986. During this time, his Athens teams had a record of 81-31. Although he stepped down as head coach from 1986 until 1999, Ron continued to contribute to the wrestling community by assisting coach Nathaniel Scott at Athens Drive and serving as a youth wrestling coach.

From 1999 to 2005, Williams held various positions, including Administrative Assistant, Facility Use Manager, and Athletic Director at Athens High. Starting in 1979, he played a crucial role in hosting the WRAL Invitational Tournament, remains at Athens Drive today. As the WRAL Wrestling Assistant Director/Site Coordinator, Ron's organizational skills contributed greatly to the success of the tournament. Recognizing his outstanding contributions, Ron was named the Outstanding Young Educator for Greenville City Schools in 1976-77. Over his 16 years of coaching in high school, his teams achieved an impressive overall record of 140-47. In 1991, Williams was honored as the Athens Drive Teacher of the Year. Notably, in 2005, he sculpted the "Mighty Jaguar" statue of the Athens Drive mascot.