William H. Spaulding
{{Short description|American football player and sports coach (1880–1966)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = William H. Spaulding
| image = William Spaulding, 1936.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Spaulding, {{circa|1936}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1880|5|4}}
| birth_place = Melrose, Wisconsin, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1966|10|12|1880|5|4}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_sport1 = Football
| player_years2 = 1903–1906
| player_team2 = Wabash
| player_positions = Halfback
| coach_sport1 = Football
| coach_years2 = 1907–1921
| coach_team2 = Western State Normal
| coach_years3 = 1922–1924
| coach_team3 = Minnesota
| coach_years4 = 1925–1938
| coach_team4 = Southern Branch / UCLA
| coach_sport5 = Basketball
| coach_years6 = 1913–1922
| coach_team6 = Western State Normal
| coach_sport7 = Baseball
| coach_years8 = 1911–1921
| coach_team8 = Western State Normal
| admin_years1 = 1938–1947
| admin_team1 = UCLA
| overall_record = 145–83–15 (football)
77–43 (basketball)
63–18–4 (baseball)
| bowl_record = 1–0
| tournament_record =
| championships = Football
1 PCC (1935)
| awards =
| coaching_records =
}}
William H. Spaulding (May 4, 1880 – October 12, 1966) was an American football player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. Spaulding coached at UCLA from 1925 to 1938. He had a successful tenure, compiling a 72–51–8 ({{winning percentage|72|51|8}}) record. He also served as the head football coach at the University of Minnesota from 1922 to 1924. His record there was 11–7–4 ({{winning percentage|11|7|4}}). He succeeded the legendary football coach Henry L. Williams. Prior to coaching at Minnesota he coached Western State Normal School (now known as Western Michigan University) from 1907 to 1921. Spaulding was the head football, basketball and baseball at Western State Normal. Spaulding attended Wabash College, where he played college football. In 1984, he was inducted into the Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame.{{cite web |url=http://www.wabash.edu/sports/hof |title=Wabash College Athletic Hall of Fame |access-date=December 2, 2007}}{{cite web| url=http://www.wabash.edu/sports/docs/Football_Lettermen2.pdf |title=Wabash College Football Lettermen |access-date=December 2, 2007}}
Early years
Spaulding was born in Melrose, Wisconsin, in 1880. He attended Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana, where he played halfback for the football team and ran sprints for the track team. He was a member of the 1905 Wabash Little Giants football team that defeated Notre Dame.{{cite news|title=Sports Parade|author=Deke Houlgate Jr. |newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=August 29, 1953|page=III-1|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18485201/sports_parade_bill_spaulding/|via=Newspapers.com}}
In 1906, Spaulding briefly played professional football on Willie Heston's All Stars.
Coaching and administrative career
=Western State=
In 1907, Spaulding was hired as the first coach and physical training director at Western State Normal School (later renamed Western Michigan University).{{cite news|title=Western Normal|newspaper=The Detroit Free Press|date=September 29, 1907|page=23|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18475384/western_normal/|via=Newspapers.com}}
He was the head coach of the school's football team for 15 years from 1907 to 1921, compiling a 62–25–3 ({{winning percentage|62|25|3}}) record. He is still the winningest coach in school history, though he is presently tied on the Broncos' all-time wins list with Al Molde. His players at Western State included Frank Thomas who went on to be the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 1931 to 1946.
He was the head coach for the Western State Normal School men's basketball program from 1913 through 1922, compiling a 77–43 ({{winning percentage|77|43}}) record, and finishing .500 or higher in each of his nine seasons.
He was also the head coach for Western State's baseball program from 1911 through 1921, compiling a 63–18–4 ({{winning percentage|63|18|4}}) record.
=Minnesota=
In January 1922, Spaulding was hired by the University of Minnesota to replace Henry L. Williams as the school's head football coach. He was hired at a salary of $5,500 per year.{{cite news|title=Kalamazoo Man Selected as New University of Minnesota Grid Coach: Bill Spaulding Named to Succeed Williams|newspaper=The Minneapolis Morning Tribune|date=January 24, 1922|page=10|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18481692/kalamazoo_man_selected_as_new/|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1924, Spaulding's Golden Gophers stopped Red Grange and handed Illinois its only defeat of the 1924 season.
=UCLA=
In May 1925, Spaulding was hired by the University of California Southern Branch (later renamed UCLA) as its head football coach and athletic director. He signed a five-year contract with Southern Branch at a salary of $10,000 per year.{{cite news|title=Spaulding Is Grizzly Coach: Minnesota Mentor Signs With Southern Branch|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Braven Dyer|date=May 24, 1925|page=17|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18482079/spaulding_is_grizzly_coach_minnesota/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Spaulding's 1935 UCLA team was a Pacific Coast Conference co-champion and handed Stanford's "Vow Boys" team its only defeat of the 1935 season. Spaulding later described the 1935 victory over Stanford as the greatest thrill of his career.{{cite news|title=Sportraits|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=September 1, 1947|page=II-7|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18485032/sportraits_william_spaulding/|via=Newspapers.com}} His players at UCLA included Kenny Washington and Jackie Robinson. In 11 years as UCLA's head football coach, his teams compiled a record of 72–51–8
In February 1938, Spaulding announced that he would resign as UCLA's head football coach after the 1938 season. He had also assumed the role as UCLA's athletic director and stated that he would thereafter confine himself to those duties.{{cite news|title=Mentor To Become Director of Athletics: No Successor Named as Bruin Grid Chief Announces Retirement After 1938 Season|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|author=Braven Dyer|date=March 1, 1938|page=II-9|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18484456/mentor_to_become_director_of_athletics/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Spaulding remained at UCLA as athletic director from 1938 to 1947. After 22 years at UCLA, Spaulding resigned in March 1947, indicating that he intended to go into business.{{cite news|title=Spaulding to Resign Bruin Job|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=March 18, 1947|page=6|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18484632/spaulding_to_resign_bruin_job/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Later years
Spaulding and his wife, Jess, had a son, William E. Spaulding, and three daughters, Jane, Frances, and Barbara. His wife died in 1953.{{cite news|title=Former Coach Bill Spaulding's Wife Dies at 68|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 18, 1953|page=II-8|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18485457/former_coach_bill_spauldings_wife_dies/|via=Newspapers.com}} He later remarried to a second wife, Eleanor.
Spaulding died in 1966 at age 86 at the Elizabeth Manor Sanitarium in Los Angeles.{{cite news|title=Ex-UCLA Coach Bill Spaulding Dies|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=October 14, 1966|page=III-1, III-2|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18467443/exucla_coach_bill_spaulding_dies/|via=Newspapers.com}} He had been ill and in "a virtual coma" for several years before his death.{{cite news|title=UCLA's Bill Spaulding dies|newspaper=Kokomo (Ind.) Morning Times|date=October 14, 1966|page=11|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/18485748/uclas_bill_spaulding_dies/|via=Newspapers.com}}
Head coaching record
=Football=
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Western State Normal Hilltoppers
| conf = Independent
| startyear = 1907
| endyear = 1921
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1907
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 3–2–1
| conference =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1908
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 3–3
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1909
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 7–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1910
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 4–1–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1911
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 2–3
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1912
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 3–2–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1913
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 4–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1914
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 6–0
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1915
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 5–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1916
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 5–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1917
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 4–3
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1918
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 3–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1919
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 4–1
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1920
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 3–4
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1921
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 6–2
| conference =
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 62–25–3
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Minnesota Golden Gophers
| conf = Big Ten Conference
| startyear = 1922
| endyear = 1924
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1922
| name = Minnesota
| overall = 3–3–1
| conference = 2–3–1
| confstanding = 5th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1923
| name = Minnesota
| overall = 5–1–1
| conference = 2–1–1
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1924
| name = Minnesota
| overall = 3–3–2
| conference = 1–2–1
| confstanding = 6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Minnesota
| overall = 11–7–4
| confrecord = 5–6–3
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Southern Branch / UCLA Grizzlies
| conf = Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1925
| endyear = 1927
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1925
| name = Southern Branch
| overall = 5–3–1
| conference = 3–1–1
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1926
| name = Southern Branch
| overall = 5–3
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1927
| name = UCLA
| overall = 6–2–1
| conference = 4–0–1
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = UCLA Bruins
| conf = Pacific Coast Conference
| startyear = 1928
| endyear = 1938
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1928
| name = UCLA
| overall = 4–4–1
| conference = 0–4
| confstanding = T–9th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1929
| name = UCLA
| overall = 4–4
| conference = 1–3
| confstanding = 6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1930
| name = UCLA
| overall = 3–5
| conference = 1–4
| confstanding = T–8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1931
| name = UCLA
| overall = 3–4–1
| conference = 0–3
| confstanding = T–9th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1932
| name = UCLA
| overall = 6–4
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1933
| name = UCLA
| overall = 6–4–1
| conference = 1–3–1
| confstanding = 8th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1934
| name = UCLA
| overall = 7–3
| conference = 2–3
| confstanding = 6th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1935
| name = UCLA
| overall = 8–2
| conference = 4–1
| confstanding = T–1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1936
| name = UCLA
| overall = 6–3–1
| conference = 4–3–1
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1937
| name = UCLA
| overall = 2–6–1
| conference = 1–5–1
| confstanding = 9th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1938
| name = UCLA
| overall = 7–4–1
| conference = 4–3–1
| confstanding = T–3rd
| bowlname = Poi
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = UCLA
| overall = 72–51–8
| confrecord = 33–34–6
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 145–83–15
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| legend =
}}
=Basketball=
{{CBB Yearly Record Start
| type = coach
| conference = no
| postseason =
| poll =
| poll1 =
| poll2 =
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Western State Normal Hilltoppers
| conference = no
| startyear = 1913
| endyear = 1922
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1913–14
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 4–4
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1914–15
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 7–5
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1915–16
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 9–7
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1916–17
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 7–6
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1917–18
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 8–4
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1918–19
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 11–3
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1919–20
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 8–3
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1920–21
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 12–5
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| season = 1921–22
| name = Western State Normal
| overall = 11–6
| conference = no
| confstanding = no
| postseason =
| ranking =
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CBB Yearly Record End
| overall = 77–43
| poll =
| polltype =
| polltype2 =
| legend = no
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Navboxes
|list =
{{Western Michigan Broncos football coach navbox}}
{{Western Michigan Broncos baseball coach navbox}}
{{Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball coach navbox}}
{{Minnesota Golden Gophers football coach navbox}}
{{UCLA Bruins football coach navbox}}
{{UCLA Bruins athletic director navbox}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spaulding, William H.}}
Category:American football halfbacks
Category:American male sprinters
Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers football coaches
Category:UCLA Bruins athletic directors
Category:UCLA Bruins football coaches
Category:Wabash Little Giants football players
Category:Wabash Little Giants men's track and field athletes
Category:Western Michigan Broncos baseball coaches
Category:Western Michigan Broncos football coaches