Bill Lange (coach)

William Fisher Lange (February 16, 1897 – June 22, 1953) was an American basketball and football player and coach. He played college football and basketball for Wittenberg College from 1918 to 1921. During the 1922–23 season, he coached the Cleveland Rosenblums, an early professional basketball team that was known at the time as "the fastest basket ball aggregation in this part of the country."[1] From 1923 to 1936, he was the athletic director and head football and basketball coach at Muskingum College in Ohio. He was best known for being the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team from 1939 through 1944.

Not to be confused with Bill Lange (offensive guard).
Bill Lange
Lange pictured in Yackety Yack 1943, North Carolina yearbook
Biographical details
Born(1897-02-16)February 16, 1897
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DiedJune 22, 1953(1953-06-22) (aged 56)
Wadsworth, Ohio, U.S.
Playing career
Football
c. 1920Wittenberg
Basketball
c. 1920Wittenberg
Position(s)Tackle (football)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1923–1935Muskingum
1936–1943North Carolina (assistant)
1944Kenyon
Basketball
1923–1936Muskingum
1939–1944North Carolina
1944–1945Kenyon
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1923–1936Muskingum
1944–1945Kenyon
Head coaching record
Overall71–35–6 (football)
219–144 (basketball)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Football
5 OAC (1926–1927, 1929–1931)

Basketball
3 OAC regular season (1926–1928)
2 SoCon regular season (1941, 1944)
1 SoCon tournament (1940)

Early years

Lange was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1897 and raised in Huron, Ohio.[2] At the time of the 1910 United States Census in April 1910, Lange was living on a farm in Berlin Township, Erie County, Ohio, with his uncle, Adam Fisher, his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sisters, Hilda and Murnice Lange.[3]

Lange attended Huron High School where he starred on the basketball and football teams.[4] In June 1918, Lange was employed by the Cleveland Stevedore Co. in Huron, Ohio.[5] Lange joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in July 1918 and was called to active duty in November 1918. He served 108 days of active duty and attained the rank of seaman second class.[2] At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Lange was living in Huron, Ohio, with his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sister, Murnice Lange.[6] He received his honorable discharge from the Naval Reserves in September 1921.[2]

Wittenberg College

Lange subsequently enrolled at Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio.[7] He played college football as a tackle on Wittenberg football teams that went undefeated for consecutive seasons in 1919 and 1920.[8] His football coach at Wittenberg was Ernie Godfrey, who later served as a longtime assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972.[4] Lange also played on Wittenberg's basketball team and was selected to the All-Ohio team in both sports.[4] He graduated from Wittenberg in 1921.[8]

Coaching career

High school coach

After graduating from Wittenberg, Lange coached high school sports at London, Ohio. During the 1922–23 academic year, he was a coach at West Tech High School in Cleveland.[1]

Cleveland Rosenblums

While coaching high school basketball in Cleveland, Lange also coached the Cleveland Rosenblums. The Rosenblums were an early professional basketball team that was known in 1923 as "the fastest basket ball aggregation in this part of the country."[1] The Rosenblums later became one of the founding members of the American Basketball League in 1925. Some sources indicate that Lange also played for the team.[9]

Muskingum College

In September 1923, he was hired as the athletic director and head coach at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio. Upon his hiring, one Ohio newspaper reported: "Lange is a young man of splendid character and has the initiative and ambition together with an attractive personality that make for success as an athletic director and coach."[1] He remained at Muskingum for 13 years until 1936.[10] As the school's head football coach from 1923 to 1935, Lange led the school to an overall record of 71–32–6. He is the third winningest coach in the history of Muskingum's football program.[11] As Muskingum's basketball coach, he compiled a record of 133–94.[8] He also served as the school's athletic director for several years.[10][12] During the 1925–26 and 1926–27 season, Lange led the Muskingum men's basketball team to records of 17–2 and 19–2.[13] His 1927 Muskingum men's basketball team won the Ohio Conference championship.[14][15] Lange was instrumental in the construction of McConagha Stadium and a student gymnasium at Muskingum.[4] One Ohio newspaper noted that Lange turned Muskingum into a consistent winner despite several obstacles: "Lange formed winning basketball and football teams despite numerous handicaps. With material never outstanding, Lange put together winning combinations year in and year out."[4]

At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Lange was living in Union Township, Muskingum County, Ohio, with his wife Juliet Rive Lange and their daughter Harriet S. Lange.[16]

University of North Carolina

In July 1936, Lange left Muskingum to accept a position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the Tar Heels football team's backfield coach and as an assistant professor of physical education.[10] As an assistant coach on the football team, he worked under head coaches Raymond Wolf (1936–1941), Jim Tatum (1942), and Tom Young (1943). He became the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 1939. In 1940–41, Lange guided the Tar Heels to the school's first ever NCAA tournament appearance.[1] They lost to Pittsburgh 26–20 in the first round. Also during Lange's time coaching North Carolina, George Glamack became a star player and earned a national player of the year honor.[17][18]

Kenyon College

In 1944, Lange left North Carolina to become the athletic director for Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.[19][20] Lange also served as Kenyon's head football and basketball coach during the 1944–1945 school year.[12] In his lone season as the basketball coach, the Kenyon Lords compiled one win—a 30–29 away game defeat of Kent State.[12]

Later years and honors

Lange retired from coaching in 1945 and moved to Florida. He lived in Englewood, Florida, and worked as a commission merchant dealing in citrus fruit. He later moved to Leesburg, Florida where he operated a tourist court for three years.[21] In June 1953, he died at age 56 while visiting friends in Wadsworth, Ohio.[22][23][24]

In 1980, Lange was selected as one of the inaugural inductees into the Muskingum University Athletic Hall of Fame.[25] He was also inducted into the Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.[8]

Head coaching record

Football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Muskingum Fighting Muskies (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1923–1935)
1922 Muskingum 5–33–3T–8th
1924 Muskingum 2–62–5T–15th
1925 Muskingum 4–3–13–310th
1926 Muskingum 9–07–01st
1927 Muskingum 8–17–1T–1st
1928 Muskingum 4–4–14–2–13rd
1929 Muskingum 6–25–01st
1930 Muskingum 6–1–13–0–11st
1931 Muskingum 8–04–01st
1932 Muskingum 4–3–13–1–17th
1933 Muskingum 5–2–14–2–1T–5th
1934 Muskingum 5–3–14–2–16th
1935 Muskingum 5–43–3T–10th
Muskingum: 71–32–652–22–5
Kenyon Lords (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1923–1935)
1944 Kenyon 0–3NANA
Kenyon: 0–3
Total:71–35–6
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

Basketball
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Muskingum Fighting Muskies (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1923–1936)
1923–24 Muskingum 6–112–1118th
1924–25 Muskingum 3–111–818th
1925–26 Muskingum 17–29–0T–1st
1926–27 Muskingum 19–211–01st
1927–28 Muskingum 13–78–11st
1928–29 Muskingum 9–107–3T–4th
1929–30 Muskingum 7–97–44th
1930–31 Muskingum 14–611–33rd
1931–32 Muskingum 10–96–810th
1932–33 Muskingum 6–95–69th
1933–34 Muskingum 5–85–8T–12th
1934–35 Muskingum 13–312–3T–2nd
1935–36 Muskingum 11–79–69th
Muskingum: 133–9493–61
North Carolina Tar Heels (Southern Conference) (1939–1944)
1939–40 North Carolina 23–311–22nd
1940–41 North Carolina 19–914–11stNCAA Regional Fourth Place
1941–42 North Carolina 14–99–57th
1942–43 North Carolina 12–108–911th
1943–44 North Carolina 17–109–11st
North Carolina: 85–4151–18
Kenyon Lords (Ohio Athletic Conference) (1944–1945)
1944–45 Kenyon 1–91–912th
Kenyon: 1–91–9
Total:219–144

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References
General
  • Powell, Adam (2005). University of North Carolina Basketball. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0-7385-4150-8.
  • Rappoport, Ken (1976). Tar Heel: North Carolina basketball. Srode Publishing. ISBN 0-87397-113-2.
  • Rappoport, Ken (2002). Tales from the Tar Heel Locker Room. Sports Publishing LLC. ISBN 1-58261-489-X. Charles Doak basketball.
  • "2009–10 Basketball Carolina Tar Heels Media Guide" (PDF). UNC Athletic Communications. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-11-12. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
Specific
  1. "William F. Lang, Musking'm Coach, Arrives Today". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). September 7, 1923.
  2. Entry for William Fisher Lange, Huron, Ohio, born in Cleveland, Feb. 16, 1897. Ancestry.com. Ohio Soldiers in WWI, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. This database contains a multi-volume series called Official Roster of Ohio Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines in the World War, 1917-18.
  3. Census entry for Adam Fisher and family. Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Berlin, Erie, Ohio; Roll: T624_1178; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 0039; Image: 574; FHL Number: 1375191.
  4. "William Lange Accepts Post On Football Coaching Staff Of University North Carolina: Popular Coach Has Been Connected With Mukingum for 13 Years". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). July 7, 1936.
  5. Draft Registration Card dated June 5, 1918, for William Fisher Lange, born Feb. 16, 1897, Cleveland, Ohio. Closest relative Mary Lange of Berlin Heights, Ohio. Ancestry.com. World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Registration Location: Erie County, Ohio; Roll: 1832193; Draft Board: 0.
  6. Census entry for Mary Lange, age 53, and family. William Lange was age 22. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Huron, Erie, Ohio; Roll: T625_1378; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 6; Image: 100.
  7. "Friendly Coaches To Clash Saturday in Bishop-Muskie Game: Ohio Wesleyan Faces Tough Opponent in Bill Lange's Organization". The Marion Star (Marion, Ohio). February 6, 1931.
  8. "Wittenberg University Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 1987 Announced". Wittenberg University. May 27, 1987. Archived from the original on April 3, 2012.
  9. "UNC Coaching". Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  10. "Lange Accepts Job: Joins Coaching Staff At University of North Carolina". The Portsmouth Times. July 7, 1936.
  11. "2009 Muskingum Football Media Guide" (PDF). Muskingum University.
  12. Howe, F. Lawrence (Summer 2010). "Hardwood Heroes". Alumni Bulletin. Kenyon College. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  13. "William Lange". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on February 2, 2013.
  14. "Wittenberg To Give Courses: Coach Godfrey to Give Grid Course -- Lange Heads Basketball School". Youngstown Vindicator. March 10, 1927.
  15. "'Muskies' ON Top in Brilliant Cage Duel With Duquesne University: Ohio Conference Champions topple Pennsylvania Leaders 30 to 18 After Hard Struggle". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). February 23, 1927.
  16. Census entry for William F. Lange and family. Lange was identified in the census as age 33 and a native of Ohio. The entry indicates that both of his parents were born in Ohio. His occupation was listed as a teacher of athletics. Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Census Place: Union, Muskingum, Ohio; Roll: 1858; Page: 11B; Enumeration District: 32; Image: 1048.0.
  17. Rappoport 2002, p. 27
  18. Powell 2005, p. 30
  19. Powell 2005, p. 33
  20. "Carnevale, Ex-N.Y.U. Ace, To Coach North Carolina Five" (PDF). The New York Times. October 22, 1944.
  21. "One-Time Coach At Muskingum College Dies". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). June 23, 1953. p. 1.
  22. "Ex-Coach Dies". Times-Bulletin (Van Wert, Ohio). June 23, 1953. p. 8.
  23. "Bill Lange Dies". The Marion Star (Marion, Ohio). June 23, 1953. p. 20.
  24. "William F. Lange Rites Thursday". The Times Recorder (Zanesville, Ohio). June 24, 1953. p. 9.
  25. "Muskingum University Athletic Hall of Fame Members" (PDF). Muskingum University. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-25. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
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