William A. McElreath

William Anderson "Dutch" McElreath (September 25, 1915 – April 18, 1993) was an American football coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Trinity University in San Antonio from 1952 to 1961, compiling a record of 47–42–2. McElreath was also the athletic director at Trinity from 1952 to 1962.

William A. McElreath
Biographical details
Born(1915-09-25)September 25, 1915
Sulphur Springs, Texas, U.S.
DiedApril 18, 1993(1993-04-18) (aged 77)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
Playing career
1937–1938Vanderbilt
1940Vanderbilt
Position(s)End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1941Morgan School (TN)
1946–1951Tulane (assistant)
1952–1961Trinity (TX)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1952–1962Trinity (TX)
Head coaching record
Overall47–42–2 (college)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
3 GCC (1953–1954, 1956)

A native of Sulphur Springs, Texas, McElreath attended Greenville High School in Greenville, Texas, where he played football as an end under coach Henry Frnka. He then played college football at Vanderbilt University, lettering in 1937, 1938, and 1940. A back injury he sustained late in 1938 prevented him from playing in 1939.

In February 1941, McElreath was appointed head football coach at Morgan School in Petersburg, Tennessee.[1] He graduated from Vanderbilt that June and coached at Morgan in the fall of 1941. McElreath enlisted in the United States Coast Guard in 1942 and was assigned to the Coast Guard's physical education program run by Jack Dempsey, former heavyweight boxing champion.[2] During World War II, he spent 18 months in the Pacific theater on an amphibious cargo ship and served in the Bougainville campaign.[3]

After the war, McElreath returned to coaching and reunited with Frnka, who was then head football coach at Tulane University. McElreath worked for six seasons as an assistant at Tulane under Frnka.[4]

In February 1962, McElreath was reassigned to an administrative position as a development program counselor at Trinity. He was succeeded as head football coach by W. C. McElhannon.[5]

Head coaching record

College

Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
Trinity Tigers (Gulf Coast Conference) (1952–1956)
1952 Trinity 4–60–23rd
1953 Trinity 8–12–01st
1954 Trinity 9–02–01st
1955 Trinity 5–41–23rd
1956 Trinity 5–3–12–0–1T–1st
Trinity Tigers (NCAA College Division independent) (1957–1961)
1957 Trinity 3–5
1958 Trinity 6–3
1959 Trinity 3–6
1960 Trinity 2–7–1
1961 Trinity 2–7
Trinity: 47–42–27–4–1
Total:47–42–2
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. "McElreath Named Coach at Morgan". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. February 6, 1941. p. 16. Retrieved January 29, 2022 via Newspapers.com open access.
  2. O'Donnell, Red (August 29, 1942). "McElreath Named Coach at Morgan". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. p. 6. Retrieved January 29, 2022 via Newspapers.com open access.
  3. "'Dutch' McElreath Returns From Service---Seeks Job". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. January 8, 1946. p. 13. Retrieved January 29, 2022 via Newspapers.com open access.
  4. "Former Tulane Coach Name To Head Post". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. Associated Press. April 30, 1952. p. 1. Retrieved January 29, 2022 via Newspapers.com open access.
  5. "Grid Coach Axed; Football De-Emphasized". Express and News. San Antonio, Texas. February 18, 1962. p. 1D. Retrieved January 29, 2022 via Newspapers.com open access.
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