William Caulfield Raftery (July 28, 1887 – July 2, 1965) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He was the 17th head football coach at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) located in Lexington, Virginia. He held that position for ten seasons, from 1927 until 1936. His career coaching record at VMI was 38–55–5. This ranks him fifth at VMI in total wins and 19th at VMI in winning percentage.[1]
 Raftery pictured in Bomb 1937, Virginia Military Institute yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 28, 1887 Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | July 2, 1965 (aged 78) Ashland, Virginia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1912–1913 | Washington and Lee |
| Baseball | |
| c. 1912–1913 | Washington and Lee |
| Position(s) | Quarterback (football) Third baseman (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1914–1916 | Washington and Lee (assistant) |
| 1917 | Washington and Lee |
| 1919–1921 | Washington and Lee |
| 1927–1936 | VMI |
| Basketball | |
| 1913–1923 | Washington and Lee |
| 1913–1914 | VMI |
| 1922–1934 | VMI |
| Baseball | |
| 1914 | VMI |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 62–55–5 (football) 68–112 (basketball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 SAIAA (1921) | |
Raftery was born in Worcester, Massachusetts.[2] He studied law at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where played college football as a quarterback in 1912 and 1913.[3] He entered the pharmaceutical business in Ashland, Virginia in 1948, retiring in 1960. Raftery died on July 2, 1965, at his home in Ashland. He was buried in Lexington, Virginia.[4]
Head coaching record
editFootball
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington and Lee Generals (South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1917) | |||||||||
| 1917 | Washington and Lee | 4–3 | 2–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Washington and Lee Generals (South Atlantic Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1919–1921) | |||||||||
| 1919 | Washington and Lee | 8–1 | 2–1 | 5th | |||||
| 1920 | Washington and Lee | 5–3 | 3–0 | 3rd | |||||
| 1921 | Washington and Lee | 6–3 | 2–0 | 1st | |||||
| Washington and Lee: | 24–10 | 11–4 | |||||||
| VMI Keydets (Southern Conference) (1927–1936) | |||||||||
| 1927 | VMI | 6–4 | 2–4 | 16th | |||||
| 1928 | VMI | 5–3–2 | 2–3–1 | 15th | |||||
| 1929 | VMI | 8–2 | 4–2 | 7th | |||||
| 1930 | VMI | 3–6 | 0–5 | 23rd | |||||
| 1931 | VMI | 3–6–1 | 2–4 | 17th | |||||
| 1932 | VMI | 2–8 | 1–4 | 18th | |||||
| 1933 | VMI | 2–7–1 | 2–1–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1934 | VMI | 1–8 | 0–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1935 | VMI | 2–7–1 | 0–3–1 | 10th | |||||
| 1936 | VMI | 6–4 | 5–2 | 4th | |||||
| VMI: | 38–55–5 | 18–33–3 | |||||||
| Total: | 62–55–5 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
Basketball
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VMI Keydets (Independent) (1913–1914, 1922–1925) | |||||||||
| 1913–14 | VMI | 6–6 | |||||||
| 1922–23 | VMI | 8–6 | |||||||
| 1923–24 | VMI | 9–5 | |||||||
| 1924–25 | VMI | 6–5 | |||||||
| VMI Keydets (Southern Conference) (1925–1934) | |||||||||
| 1925–26 | VMI | 7–8 | 3–5 | 13th | |||||
| 1926–27 | VMI | 3–12 | 0–7 | 21st | |||||
| 1927–28 | VMI | 7–6 | 5–5 | 13th | |||||
| 1928–29 | VMI | 6–7 | 1–7 | 22nd | |||||
| 1929–30 | VMI | 4–10 | 2–6 | 17th | |||||
| 1930–31 | VMI | 4–12 | 2–8 | 20th | |||||
| 1931–32 | VMI | 0–14 | 0–9 | 23rd | |||||
| 1932–33 | VMI | 4–11 | 2–8 | 8th | |||||
| 1933–34 | VMI | 4–10 | 3–6 | 7th | |||||
| VMI: | 68–112 | 18–61 | |||||||
| Total: | 68–112 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ Virginia Military Institute Coaching Records Archived December 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Read the eBook General register of the members of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity, 1850-1920 by Phi Kappa Sigma. 3n online for free (Page 61 of 120)".
- ^ "Coach Raftery Is Former Washington And Lee Star Player". The Birmingham News. Birmingham, Alabama. November 11, 1920. p. 16. Retrieved June 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "W. C. Raftery, Ex-Athlete, Coach, Dies". Charleston Daily Mail. Charleston, West Virginia. July 6, 1965. p. 4. Retrieved June 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ 2013 VMI Football Fact Book
- ^ 2013–14 VMI Basketball Fact Book
