William Alexander (American football) facts for kids
Alexander from The 1944 Blue Print
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 6, 1889 Mud River, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | April 23, 1950 (aged 60) Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1911–1912 | Georgia Tech |
| Position(s) | End, quarterback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1920–1944 | Georgia Tech |
| Basketball | |
| 1919–1920 | Georgia Tech |
| 1921–1924 | Georgia Tech |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1920–1950 | Georgia Tech |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 134–95–15 (football) 36–38 (basketball) |
| Bowls | 3–2 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 National (1928) 2 SIAA (1920–1921) 3 SoCon (1922, 1927–1928) 3 SEC (1939, 1943–1944) |
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| Awards | |
| Football AFCA Coach of the Year (1942) Amos Alonzo Stagg Award (1947) SEC Coach of the Year (1939) |
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| College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1951 (profile) |
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William Anderson Alexander (born June 6, 1889 – died April 23, 1950) was a famous American football player and coach. He was the head football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology (often called Georgia Tech) from 1920 to 1944. During his time, his teams won 134 games, which is the second-highest number of wins for any Tech football coach.
Alexander's 1928 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets team was recognized as a national champion. He was the first college football coach to lead his teams to play in the four biggest post-season bowl games of his time: the Sugar, Cotton, Orange, and Rose. His teams won three of these four important games. The win at the 1929 Rose Bowl was especially famous. This game helped his team earn the national championship. It's also remembered for a funny "wrong-way run" by a player from the other team, California's Roy Riegels.
William Alexander also coached the Georgia Tech basketball team for four seasons between 1919 and 1924. Because of his great achievements, he was added to the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1951.
Who Was William Alexander?
Early Life and Playing Days
William Alexander played football for Georgia Tech under a legendary coach named John Heisman. Alexander was even chosen as the captain of the "scrubs" (practice team). In his final year, he played enough in two important games to earn a letter, which means he was officially recognized as a varsity player.
He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1912 with a degree in civil engineering. He was the best student in his class, meaning he was the Valedictorian. He was also part of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Becoming a Coach
Taking Over from a Legend
People often called William Alexander "Old Aleck." In April 1920, he took over as the head coach at Georgia Tech. He replaced John Heisman, who was a very famous coach. Before becoming head coach, Alexander had been an assistant coach for Heisman. He also taught math at Georgia Tech.
A Funny Coach
Coach Alexander had a good sense of humor. When he drew football plays, he always made the "x's" (which were his Georgia Tech players) very small. But he drew the "circles" (which were the opposing players) very large! This was his way of showing how tough the other teams were.
Star Players and Big Games
As a new head coach, Alexander quickly led Georgia Tech to win three championships in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association. These wins happened in 1920, 1921, and 1922. His team also won their second national championship in 1928. Star players like Buck Flowers and Red Barron were on his early teams.
He was the first college football coach to have his teams play in all four major bowl games of that time: the Sugar, Cotton, Orange, and Rose Bowls. His teams won three of these four big games.
The "Plan" and a Big Win
During the 1927 football season, Coach Alexander came up with a special idea he called "the Plan." Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia (UGA) had just started playing their yearly rivalry game again in 1925 after not playing for eight years.
In 1927, UGA was having an amazing season and won their first nine games. Alexander's plan was to keep his main players healthy. He would take his starters out of every game early, no matter the score, before the big game against UGA. On December 3, 1927, UGA came to Atlanta hoping to win a national title. But Tech's well-rested starters completely shut out UGA, winning 12–0. This ended UGA's chance at their first national championship.
Coach Alexander once described the most amazing play he ever saw. It was from the 1925 game against Vanderbilt. Their star player, Doug Wycoff, was hurt. So, his substitute, Dick Wright, had to play. On a muddy field, Wright ran through the defense and dodged Vanderbilt's safety, Gil Reese, who was usually great at tackling. Wright scored a touchdown, giving Tech a 7–0 victory.
The Famous 1928 Season
Coach Alexander's 1928 team was the first Tech team to ever play in a bowl game. They had a perfect record, winning all 9 of their games. They were invited to the 1929 Rose Bowl to play against California. The Tech team traveled by train all the way to California.
The Rose Bowl and the "Wrong-Way Run"
The Rose Bowl game was a tough defensive battle. The first points were scored after a Georgia Tech fumble. A California player named Roy Riegels picked up the loose ball. But he accidentally ran the wrong way! Riegels ran all the way back to Georgia Tech's 3-yard line. His own teammates finally stopped him.
Because of this mistake, the California team had to punt from their own end zone. Tech blocked the punt, and this led to a "safety" for Tech, giving them a 2–0 lead. California later scored a touchdown, but Tech scored another touchdown to win the game 8–7.
National Champions!
This victory made Georgia Tech the undefeated national champions of the 1928 college football season. It was Tech's second national title in just 11 years.
Tough Times and Team Spirit
During the Great Depression, Coach Alexander noticed that team spirit on campus was very low. Not many students came to watch the football games or other sports. His football team didn't do as well after 1928, and they didn't have another winning season until 1937.
To help boost student spirit, he helped create a group called the Yellow Jacket Club in 1930. This group later became known as the Ramblin' Reck Club, which is still active today.
Life After Coaching
On January 30, 1945, Coach Alexander decided to stop being the head football coach. However, he continued to work as Georgia Tech's athletic director until he passed away in 1950. He still holds the record for the second-most victories of any Tech football coach.
William Alexander's Lasting Impact
A Coaching Legend's Legacy
One of Alexander's assistants, Bobby Dodd, took over as head coach after him. Bobby Dodd went on to become the most successful head football coach in Georgia Tech's history. Dodd greatly admired Coach Alexander and learned a lot from him.
Bobby Dodd once said, "He taught me to treat athletes as men, not boys - to never use their failings as an alibi for a loss." This shows how much Alexander influenced Dodd's own coaching style.
Honoring His Name
The Alexander Memorial Coliseum was once the home arena for Georgia Tech's basketball teams. This building was named after William Alexander to honor his contributions. It has since been renamed the Hank McCamish Pavilion.
Images for kids
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Doug Wycoff, a star player for Coach Alexander.
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A plaque at Georgia Tech honoring Coach Alexander.
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The William Alexander Courtyard at McCamish Pavilion.
