Willard Bailey (born June 3, 1939) is and currently serving as President of Central International College* in Virginia. When Coach Bailey retired in 2013, he was the winningest football coach in the history of Virginia at all levels. Today, that record has been eclipsed -- but Bailey is still the all-time winningest football coach in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) -- the oldest Black football conference in the country. In his 40 years of coaching at four different schools, Bailey won a total of 238 games. Coach Bailey's former positions include athletic director, head football coach, as well as being a fully-tenured associate professor.

Willard Bailey
Biographical details
Born (1939-06-03) June 3, 1939 (age 84)
Suffolk, Virginia, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1966–1970Virginia Union (assistant)
1971–1983Virginia Union
1984–1992Norfolk State
1995–2003Virginia Union
2005–2010Saint Paul's (VA)
2011–2013Virginia–Lynchburg
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1984–1989Norfolk State
Head coaching record
Overall238–169–7
Tournaments0–6 (NCAA D-II playoffs)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
7 CIAA (1973, 1979, 1981–1984, 2001)

Coach Willard Bailey was Inducted into Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

Coach Bailey became an assistant football coach at Virginia Union University in 1964 and took over as head coach of VUU's Panthers in 1971, setting a school-record 151 coaching wins between 1971-83 and 1995-2003. His distinguished service as head football coach includes Virginia Union University from 1971 to 1983 and again from 1995 to 2003, Norfolk State University from 1984 to 1992, Saint Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia from 2005 to 2010, and Virginia University of Lynchburg from 2011 to 2013, compiling a career college football record of 238–169–7.[1][2] As a coach in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), Bailey won seven conference championships, six with Virginia Union and one with Norfolk State. His Virginia Union Panther football teams made five straight appearances in the NCAA Division II football playoffs, from 1979 to 1983, while his Norfolk State Spartan football team made one appearance in the NCAA Division II football playoffs, in 1984.

These are but a few of the players from Bailey's Virginia Union Panthers, Norfolk State Spartans, and Saint Paul's Tiger teams who went on to the National Football League, the Canadian League or the Arena League:

Bailey graduated from Norfolk State in 1962.

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  • Central International College is Accredited by the Association of Independent Christian Colleges and Seminaries and recognized by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia.

Head Coaching Record edit

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Virginia Union Panthers (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1971–1983)
1971 Virginia Union 4–3–2 4–3–1 3rd (Northern)
1972 Virginia Union 6–3 3–2 T–2nd (Northern)
1973 Virginia Union 9–1 9–0 1st
1974 Virginia Union 8–2 7–1 2nd
1975 Virginia Union 7–4 6–1 T–2nd
1976 Virginia Union 7–4 5–3 T–3rd
1977 Virginia Union 10–1 7–1 2nd
1978 Virginia Union 7–4–1 5–2–1 T–2nd
1979 Virginia Union 10–2 8–0 1st L NCAA Division II First Round
1980 Virginia Union 9–2–1 5–1–1 2nd L NCAA Division II First Round
1981 Virginia Union 11–1 7–0 1st (Northern) L NCAA Division II First Round
1982 Virginia Union 8–3 6–1 1st (Northern) L NCAA Division II First Round
1983 Virginia Union 9–2 6–1 1st (Northern) L NCAA Division II First Round
Norfolk State Spartans (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1984–1992)
1984 Norfolk State 10–2 6–1 1st (Northern) L NCAA Division II First Round
1985 Norfolk State 6–4 5–2 2nd (Northern)
1986 Norfolk State 4–6 3–4 4th (Northern)
1987 Norfolk State 4–7 2–5 4th (Northern)
1988 Norfolk State 5–5 2–4 4th (Northern)
1989 Norfolk State 6–3–1 3–2–1 4th (Northern)
1990 Norfolk State 7–3 5–1 2nd (Northern)
1991 Norfolk State 7–3 6–1 T–2nd
1992 Norfolk State 3–7 2–4 T–8th
Norfolk State: 52–40–1 34–24–1
Virginia Union Panthers (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1995–2003)
1995 Virginia Union 0–8–2 0–6–2 9th
1996 Virginia Union 2–8 1–7 T–9th
1997 Virginia Union 6–5 3–4
1998 Virginia Union 8–3 4–3 T–3rd
1999 Virginia Union 8–2 6–1 2nd
2000 Virginia Union 8–3 5–1 1st (Eastern)
2001 Virginia Union 8–3 5–1 1st (Eastern)
2002 Virginia Union 6–4 4–3 3rd (Eastern)
2003 Virginia Union 6–5 5–2 T–1st (Eastern)
Virginia Union: 157–73–6 111–44–5
Saint Paul's Tigers (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (2005–2010)
2005 Saint Paul's 4–6 3–4 4th (Northern)
2006 Saint Paul's 1–8 1–6 6th (Northern)
2007 Saint Paul's 5–5 4–3 3rd (Northern)
2008 Saint Paul's 5–5 3–4 T–4th (Northern)
2009 Saint Paul's 4–5 3–4 5th (Northern)
2010 Saint Paul's 2–8 2–5 6th (Northern)
Saint Paul's: 21–37 16–26
Virginia–Lynchburg Dragons (Independent) (2011–2013)
2011 Virginia–Lynchburg 4–6
2012 Virginia–Lynchburg 2–8
2013 Virginia–Lynchburg 2–5
Virginia–Lynchburg: 8–19
Total: 238–169–7
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "NCAA Career Statistics". NCAA. Retrieved June 21, 2010.
  2. ^ "All-time Game Results". Virginia Union University Athletics. Retrieved 2024-02-24.