William Gordon "Country" Morris was an American baseball player and baseball, basketball, and football coach. Morris was born in 1890 or 1891 in Rockingham County, Virginia. He lettered in four sports, including football (where he was captain of the 1913 team) and baseball, at Maryland Agricultural College.[3] Morris played minor league baseball for the Worcester Busters of the New England League in 1911 and for the Martinsburg Champs/Blue Sox/Mountaineers of the Blue Ridge League as a player/coach from 1915 to 1918.[1][2][4]
.png) Morris in 1920 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1890 or 1891 Rockingham County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | July 10, 1976 (aged 85) Glen Falls, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Maryland[1] |
| Playing career | |
| 1911 | Worcester Busters[2] |
| 1915–18 | Martinsburg Champs/Blue Sox/Mountaineers |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Baseball | |
| 1915–18 | Martinsburg Champs/Blue Sox/Mountaineers |
| 1917, 1920 | Clemson |
| 1920–23, 1926 | Waynesboro Red Birds/Villagers |
| Basketball | |
| 1916–17, 1919–20 | Clemson |
| Football | |
| 1916–17, 1919 | Clemson (assistant) |
| 1923–1957 | The Albany Academy |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 17–28 (college baseball) 16–8 (basketball) |
In 1916, he as hired as an assistant football coach at Clemson College, and he was also head basketball and baseball coach. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 1917, returning to Clemson in 1919 to coach one more season.[5][6]
From 1920 to 1923, and in 1926, Morris returned to the Blue Ridge League to coach the Waynesboro Red Birds/Villagers. From 1923 until 1957, he coached football at The Albany Academy, where his son and Andy Rooney attended.[7][8] Morris died on July 10, 1976, in Glen Falls, New York.[3]
Head coaching record
editBaseball
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Postseason | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | Clemson | 13–13 | |||||||
| 1920 | Clemson | 4–15 | |||||||
| Total: | 17–28 (.378) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
Basketball
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Postseason | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916–17 | Clemson | 8–2 | |||||||
| 1919–20 | Clemson | 8–6 | |||||||
| Total: | 16–8 (.667) | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
edit
- ^ a b Keenan, Jimmy. "August 26, 1922: Waynesboro wins despite unruly Martinsburg fans". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ a b "Reggie Rawlings, "Legend of the Blue Ridge"" (PDF). Diamonds in the Dusk. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ a b "WILLIAM G. MORRIS, SPORTS DIRECTOR, 85". The New York Times. July 11, 1976. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "William Morris". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Bourret, Tim; Sikes, Philip. "2012–13 Clemson Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Clemson University. p. 141. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Henessey, Brian. 2017 Baseball Media Guide (PDF). Clemson Tigers. p. 157. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 3, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "W. Gordon Morris Jr., 85, formerly of Albany". North Country Now. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Rooney, Andy (2008). My War. PublicAffairs. ISBN 9781586486822. Retrieved August 17, 2023.