Bill Fulcher

{{Short description|American football player and coach (1934–2022)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Bill Fulcher

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|2|9}}

| birth_place = Augusta, Georgia, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|9|23|1934|2|9}}

| death_place = Augusta, Georgia, U.S.

| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1953–1955

| player_team1 = Georgia Tech

| player_years2 = 1956–1958

| player_team2 = Washington Redskins

| player_positions = Linebacker, guard

| coach_years1 = 1960–1961

| coach_team1 = Screven County HS (GA)

| coach_years2 = 1962

| coach_team2 = Richmond Academy (GA)

| coach_years3 = 1963

| coach_team3 = Georgia Tech (freshman)

| coach_years4 = 1964–1965

| coach_team4 = Waynesboro HS (VA)

| coach_years5 = 1966

| coach_team5 = Georgia Tech (LB/DE)

| coach_years6 = 1969

| coach_team6 = Georgia Tech (OL)

| coach_years7 = 1970

| coach_team7 = Florida (OL)

| coach_years8 = 1971

| coach_team8 = Tampa

| coach_years9 = 1972–1973

| coach_team9 = Georgia Tech

| overall_record = 18–15–1 (college)

| bowl_record = 1–0

| tournament_record =

| championships =

| awards =

| coaching_records =

}}

William Marcus Fulcher (February 9, 1934 – September 23, 2022) was an American professional football player and college coach. He played college football at the Georgia Institute of Technology and then played pro ball for the Washington Redskins in the National Football League (NFL). Fulcher served as head football coach at the University of Tampa in 1971 and at his alma mater, Georgia Tech, in 1972 and 1973, compiling a career college football record of 18–15–1.

Football career

Fulcher was born on February 9, 1934, at University Hospital in Augusta, Georgia,{{cite web |title=William M. "Bill" Fulcher III Obituary (2022) |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/william-fulcher-obituary?id=36596556 |website=Legacy.com |access-date=27 September 2022}} and he attended the Academy of Richmond County, where he played football, baseball, and basketball.{{cite news|first1=Al |last1=Thomy |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/87512570/fulcher-1972/ |title=Fulcher New Georgia Tech Coach: 'Somehow I Always Knew' |newspaper=The Atlanta Constitution|via=Newspapers.com |date=January 22, 1972 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://ramblinwreck.com/georgia-tech-mourns-the-loss-of-bill-fulcher/ |title=Georgia Tech Mourns the Loss of Bill Fulcher – Football — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |publisher=Ramblinwreck.com |date= September 24, 2022|accessdate=September 24, 2022}} He also played football for one year at the Darlington School in Rome, Georgia.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/773925212/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22%20darlington&match=1 |title=21 Jan 1972, 13 – The Knoxville News-Sentinel at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=January 21, 1972 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}} Fulcher enrolled at Georgia Institute of Technology, where he played college football for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets as a walk-on. He became a starting guard for the Yellow Jackets. Fulcher was not selected in the 1956 NFL draft, and he signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent in May 1956 to play as a linebacker.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/397992083/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22%20redskins&match=1 |title=12 May 1956, 6 – The Atlanta Constitution at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=May 12, 1956 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}} Fulcher retired from the NFL after one season to coach high school football, but returned in December 1957 due to a season-ending injury to Tom Braatz.{{Cite web |title=7 Dec 1957, 15 - The Times Dispatch at Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/828762401/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22&match=1 |access-date=2022-09-27 |website=Newspapers.com |language=en}}

After the 1958 season, Fulcher became the head coach of the football team at Screven County High School in Sylvania, Georgia, going 15–6–1. He next coached at Richmond, and then in 1963 became the freshman coach for Georgia Tech. He coached at Waynesboro High School in 1964 and 1965, returned to Georgia Tech to coach linebackers and defensive ends in 1966, and then spent 1967 and 1968 in business. In 1969, Fulcher returned to Georgia Tech as an aide, and then he was an assistant coach at the University of Florida in 1970.

Fulcher was hired to be the head coach for the Tampa Spartans of the University of Tampa in 1971.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/125360720/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22&match=1 |title=8 Jan 1971, Page 1C – Florida Today at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=January 8, 1971 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/624187884/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22&match=1 |title=9 Feb 1971, 110 – The Miami Herald at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=February 9, 1971 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}} He led the Spartans to a 6–5 record in the 1971 season. Fulcher accepted the head coaching position with Georgia Tech in January 1972, resigning his position with Tampa after one year.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/331923287/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22&match=1 |title=22 Jan 1972, 43 – The Tampa Tribune at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=January 22, 1972 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}} In Fulcher's first season with Georgia Tech, the team had a 7–4–1 record in the 1972 season, and defeated the Iowa State Cyclones in the 1972 Liberty Bowl. The team finished ranked No. 20 by the Associated Press poll. After the 1973 season, Fulcher resigned, saying that coaching was no longer enjoyable for him. He left Georgia Tech with a 12–10–1 record.

In 2015, Fulcher was inducted to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=CLASS OF 2015 |url=https://www.georgiasportshalloffame.com/class-of-2015 |website=georgiasportshalloffame.com |publisher=Georgia Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=27 September 2022 |language=en}}

Later career

After leaving Georgia Tech, Fulcher sold real estate in Atlanta. He attended Augusta Law School and graduated in 1980. He later moved to Tampa to open a restaurant and then sold insurance, before returning to Augusta to sell real estate.{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/335571482/?terms=%22bill%20fulcher%22%20augusta&match=1 |title=23 Sep 1978, 77 – The Tampa Tribune at |publisher=Newspapers.com |date=September 23, 1978 |accessdate=September 24, 2022}}

Personal life

Fulcher and his wife, Bequi, had five children. He died on September 23, 2022, at age 88.{{Cite news|url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/georgia-tech/bill-fulcher-former-georgia-tech-football-player-and-coach-dies-in-augusta/YNPMJLBZK5ELLGKQJ6KI4VBBSA/|newspaper=Atlanta Journal-Constitution|title=Bill Fulcher, former Georgia Tech football player and coach, dies in Augusta|author=Sugiura, Ken|date=September 24, 2022}}{{cite news |title=Former Georgia Tech football coach Bill Fulcher dies at 88 |url=https://apnews.com/article/nfl-college-football-sports-georgia-augusta-8d7e31717742039057af05da3c04465a |access-date=27 September 2022 |work=AP NEWS |date=25 September 2022 |language=en}}