William M. Bell
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = William M. Bell
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1909|6|10}}
| birth_place = Polk County, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|6|10|1909|5|10}}
| death_place = Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S.
| alma_mater =
| player_years1 = 1929–1931
| player_team1 = Ohio State
| player_positions = Tackle
| coach_years1 = 1932–1933
| coach_team1 = Howard (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1934–1935
| coach_team2 = Claflin
| coach_years3 = 1936–1942
| coach_team3 = Florida A&M
| coach_years4 = 1946–1956
| coach_team4 = North Carolina A&T
| admin_years1 = 1934–1936
| admin_team1 = Claflin
| admin_years2 = ?–{{Circa|1968}}
| admin_team2 = North Carolina A&T
| admin_years3 = 1969–1975
| admin_team3 = Fayetteville State
| overall_record = 112–48–17
| bowl_record = 6–3–1
| tournament_record =
| championships = 2 black college national (1938, 1942)
2 SEAC (1934–1935)
3 SIAC (1937–1938, 1942)
1 CIAA (1950)
| awards =
- Second-team All-Big Ten (1931)
| coaching_records =
}}
William McNeil "Big Bill" Bell Sr. (June 10, 1909 – May 10, 1991) was an American college football player and coach and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina from 1934 to 1935, Florida A&M University from 1936 to 1942, and North Carolina A&T State University from 1946 to 1956.{{cite web|url=http://www.ncataggies.com/fls/24500/old_site/Football/2009%20articles/Football%20Web%20Guide/(10)_FB_09_(127-164).pdf?DB_OEM_ID=24500|title=Football Media Guide|year=2009|publisher=ncataggies.com|access-date=October 4, 2018}}
After graduating from Ohio State in 1932, Bell was an assistant coach at Howard University in Washington, D.C. for two years. In 1934, he was hired as athletic director and head football coach at Claflin.{{cite news |author= |title=Bill Bell Is Holding Grid Reigns At Claflin |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39968382/the_pittsburgh_courier/ |newspaper=Pittsburgh Courier |location=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |date=October 6, 1934 |page=15 |access-date=December 2, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}{{cite news |last=Schlemmer |first=James W. |title=Easy Way Is Not Best; Big Bill Bell Becomes Athletic Chief At Florida State A. & M. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/39968418/the_akron_beacon_journal/ |newspaper=Akron Beacon Journal |location=Akron, Ohio |date=March 26, 1936 |page=29 |access-date=December 2, 2019 |via=Newspapers.com {{Open access}} }}
Bell married the former Henrietta Louise Lee of Charleston, South Carolina.{{cite web|url=https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?viewrecord=1&r=an&db=FS1VirginiaMarriages&indiv=try&h=5322481|title=Henrietta Louise Lee|publisher=Ancestry.com|access-date=March 12, 2019}}
Head coaching record
{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Claflin Panthers
| conf = Southeastern Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1934
| endyear = 1935
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1934
| name = Claflin
| overall = 5–2–3
| conference =
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1935
| name = Claflin
| overall = 7–1–1
| conference =
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Claflin
| overall = 12–3–4
| confrecord =
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = Florida A&M Rattlers
| conf = Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
| startyear = 1936
| endyear = 1942
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1936
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 2–4–1
| conference = 2–2–1
| confstanding =
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1937
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 7–1–1
| conference = 5–0–1
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic, L Prairie View
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 1938
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 8–0
| conference = 6–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1939
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 6–2–1
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding =
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1940
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 6–1–3
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = T
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1941
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 8–1
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding =
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = national
| year = 1942
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 9–0
| conference = 7–0
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = Florida A&M
| overall = 46–9–6
| confrecord = 34–6–2
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead
| name = North Carolina A&T Aggies
| conf = Colored/Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
| startyear = 1946
| endyear = 1956
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1946
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 4–4
| conference = 3–4
| confstanding = 7th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1947
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 3–4–1
| conference = 2–4–1
| confstanding =
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1948
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 4–4–1
| conference = 4–2–1
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname = Vulcan
| bowloutcome = L
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1949
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 7–2
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname = Orange Blossom Classic
| bowloutcome = W
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship = conference
| year = 1950
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 6–2–1
| conference = 5–0–1
| confstanding = 1st
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1951
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 7–1–1
| conference = 5–1
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1952
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 6–4
| conference = 5–2
| confstanding = 3rd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1953
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 4–4
| conference = 4–2
| confstanding = 4th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1954
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 4–6
| conference = 2–5
| confstanding = 11th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1955
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 4–1–3
| conference = 4–1–2
| confstanding = 2nd
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Entry
| championship =
| year = 1956
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 5–4
| conference = 3–3
| confstanding = 9th
| bowlname =
| bowloutcome =
| bcsbowl =
| ranking = no
| ranking2 = no
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
| name = North Carolina A&T
| overall = 54–36–7
| confrecord = 42–25–5
}}
{{CFB Yearly Record End
| overall = 112–48–17
| bowls = no
| poll = no
| polltype =
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Claflin Panthers football coach navbox}}
{{Florida A&M Rattlers football coach navbox}}
{{North Carolina A&T Aggies football coach navbox}}
{{North Carolina A&T Aggies athletic director navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, William M.}}
Category:Claflin Panthers athletic directors
Category:Claflin Panthers football coaches
Category:Fayetteville State Broncos and Lady Broncos athletic directors
Category:Florida A&M Rattlers football coaches
Category:Howard Bison football coaches
Category:Ohio State Buckeyes football players
Category:North Carolina A&T Aggies athletic directors
Category:North Carolina A&T Aggies football coaches
Category:Iowa State University faculty
Category:Players of American football from Akron, Ohio
Category:African-American coaches of American football
Category:African-American college athletic directors in the United States
Category:Sportspeople from Polk County, Georgia