William Alexander (football coach)
Encyclopedia
William Anderson Alexander (June 6, 1889 – April 23, 1950) was an American football
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology
from 1920 to 1944, compiling a record of 134–95–15. Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
have been recognized as national champions by a number of selectors. Alexander was also the head basketball
coach at Georgia Tech for four seasons from 1919 to 1924. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
as a coach in 1951.
Alexander graduated from Georgia Tech in 1912 with a degree in civil engineering
. Valedictorian
of his class, he was also a brother of the Kappa Sigma
fraternity. Alexander succeeded John Heisman
as the head coach at Georgia Tech in April 1920. The Technique
said of him:
As a new coach, he led Georgia Tech to three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
titles (1920, 1921, 1922) and its second national championship in 1928. In 1944 he retired and was succeeded by one of his assistants, Bobby Dodd
.
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum
, the home arena of Georgia Tech's basketball teams, is named after him.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
from 1920 to 1944, compiling a record of 134–95–15. Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represents the Georgia Institute of Technology in collegiate level football. While the team is officially designated as the Yellow Jackets, it is also referred to as the Ramblin' Wreck. The Yellow Jackets are a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
have been recognized as national champions by a number of selectors. Alexander was also the head basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach at Georgia Tech for four seasons from 1919 to 1924. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
as a coach in 1951.
Alexander graduated from Georgia Tech in 1912 with a degree in civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
. Valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of his class, he was also a brother of the Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma
Kappa Sigma , commonly nicknamed Kappa Sig, is an international fraternity with currently 282 active chapters and colonies in North America. Kappa Sigma has initiated more than 240,000 men on college campuses throughout the United States and Canada. Today, the Fraternity has over 175,000 living...
fraternity. Alexander succeeded John Heisman
John Heisman
John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College , Buchtel College, now known as the University of Akron , Auburn University , Clemson University , Georgia Tech , the...
as the head coach at Georgia Tech in April 1920. The Technique
The Technique
The Technique, also known as the "Nique," is the official student newspaper of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia and has referred to itself as "the South's liveliest college newspaper" since 1945...
said of him:
As a new coach, he led Georgia Tech to three Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association was one of the first collegiate athletic conferences in the United States. Twenty-seven of the current Division I FBS football programs were members of this conference at some point, as were at least 19 other schools...
titles (1920, 1921, 1922) and its second national championship in 1928. In 1944 he retired and was succeeded by one of his assistants, Bobby Dodd
Bobby Dodd
Robert Lee Dodd was an American college football coach at Georgia Tech. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame as a player and coach, something that only three people have accomplished....
.
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum
Alexander Memorial Coliseum
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum is an indoor arena located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is the home of the basketball teams of Georgia Tech and hosted the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA from 1968–1972 and again from 1997–1999...
, the home arena of Georgia Tech's basketball teams, is named after him.
Football
External links
- Georgia Tech biography
- William Alexander as College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com