Bill Kern
William Franklin Kern (September 2, 1906 – April 5, 1985) was an American football player and coach. He played college football as a tackle at the University of Pittsburgh in 1925 and 1927 and then with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) in 1929 and 1930. Kern served as the head football coach at the Carnegie Institute of Technology from 1937 to 1939 and at West Virginia University from 1940 to 1942 and again in 1946 and 1947, compiling a career record of 36–35–2. In 1938, he led the Carnegie Tech Tartans to the Sugar Bowl, where they lost to the national champion TCU Horned Frogs, 15–7.
 Kern pictured in The Monticola 1941, West Virginia yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 3, 1906 Kingston, Pennsylvania |
| Died | April 5, 1985 (aged 78) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Playing career | |
| 1925, 1927 | Pittsburgh |
| 1929–1930 | Green Bay Packers |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1936 | Pittsburgh (assistant) |
| 1937–1939 | Carnegie Tech |
| 1940–1942 | West Virginia |
| 1943 | Del Monte Pre-Flight |
| 1946–1947 | West Virginia |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 43–36–2 |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| All-American, 1927 AFCA Coach of the Year (1938) | |
| Born: | September 2, 1906 Kingston, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Died: | April 5, 1985 (aged 78) |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| College | Pittsburgh |
| High school | Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, PA) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1929–1930 | Green Bay Packers |
Playing career
As a player in college, he was a first team All-American tackle at the University of Pittsburgh in 1927.[1] Following college, Kern played tackle for the NFL's Green Bay Packers in 1929 and 1930.[2]
Coaching career
Kern's tenure at West Virginia was interrupted by military service during World War II. He served as a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1945.[3]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | AP# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Tech Tartans (Independent) (1937–1939) | |||||||||
| 1937 | Carnegie Tech | 2–5–1 | |||||||
| 1938 | Carnegie Tech | 7–2 | L Sugar | 6 | |||||
| 1939 | Carnegie Tech | 3–5 | |||||||
| Carnegie Tech: | 12–12–1 | ||||||||
| West Virginia Mountaineers (Independent) (1940–1942) | |||||||||
| 1940 | West Virginia | 4–4–1 | |||||||
| 1941 | West Virginia | 4–6 | |||||||
| 1942 | West Virginia | 5–4 | |||||||
| Del Monte Pre-Flight Navyators (Independent) (1943) | |||||||||
| 1943 | Del Monte Pre-Flight | 7–1 | 8 | ||||||
| Del Monte Pre-Flight: | 7–1 | ||||||||
| West Virginia Mountaineers (Independent) (1946–1947) | |||||||||
| 1946 | West Virginia | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1947 | West Virginia | 6–4 | |||||||
| West Virginia: | 24–23–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 43–36–2 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
References
- Borghetti, E.J.; Nestor, Mendy; Welsh, Celeste, eds. (2008). 2008 Pitt Football Media Guide (PDF). Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh. p. 158.
- "Bill Kern Statistics". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved January 2, 2009.
- "Kern Resigns as West Virginia Coach". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 26, 1947. Retrieved December 29, 2010.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
- Bill Kern at Find a Grave