William Ayres Reynolds

William Ayres Reynolds
Reynolds pictured in The Cincinnatian 1896, Cincinnati yearbook
Biographical details
Born(1872-12-30)December 30, 1872
Oxford, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedAugust 10, 1928(1928-08-10) (aged 53)
Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1893–1894Princeton Scrub Team
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1895Rutgers
1895Sewanee
1896Cincinnati
1897–1900North Carolina
1901–1902Georgia
Baseball
1898–1899North Carolina
1902–1903Georgia
Head coaching record
Overall38–21–9 (football)
34–14–2 (baseball)

William Ayres Reynolds (December 30, 1872 or December 30, 1874 – August 10, 1928)[1][2] was an American football player and coach of football and baseball. He played scrub football at Princeton University, serving as team captain in 1894,[3] and served as the head football coach at Rutgers University (1895),[3] Sewanee: The University of the South (1895),[4] the University of Cincinnati (1896), the University of North Carolina (1897–1900), and the University of Georgia (1901–1902), compiling a career record of 38–21–9. Reynolds was also the head baseball coach at North Carolina (1898–1899) and Georgia (1902–1903), tallying a career mark of 24–14–2.

As North Carolina's football coach, he coached the Tar Heels to an undefeated season in 1898 (9–0) and had an overall record of 27–7–4 during his four seasons. As a baseball coach, Reynolds compiled a 21–5–1 record in two seasons at North Carolina.

Reynolds did not enjoy the same level of success at Georgia in either sport. As the Georgia football head coach, he compiled a record of just 5–7–3 during his two-year stay. As a baseball coach, Reynolds fared better, posting a 13–9–1 record over two seasons.

Reynolds left Georgia in 1903 to pursue a business opportunity in Canada.[5] He was later the vice president of the Southern Cotton Oil Co, original manufacturers of Wesson cooking oil. He died on August 10, 1928, at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina.[6]

Head coaching record

Football

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Rutgers Queensmen (Independent) (1895)
1895 Rutgers 0–2
Rutgers: 0–2
Sewanee (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1895)
1895 Sewanee 2–2–1 0–2
Sewanee: 2–2–1 0–2
Cincinnati (Independent) (1896)
1896 Cincinnati 4–3–1
Cincinnati: 4–3–1
North Carolina Tar Heels (Independent) (1897–1898)
1897 North Carolina 7–3
1898 North Carolina 9–0
North Carolina Tar Heels (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1899–1900)
1899 North Carolina 7–3–1 1–1
1900 North Carolina 4–1–3 3–0–1
North Carolina: 27–7–4 4–1–1
Georgia Bulldogs (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1901–1902)
1901 Georgia 1–5–2 0–3–2
1902 Georgia 4–2–1 3–2–1
Georgia: 5–7–3 3–5–3
Total: 38–21–9

References

  1. ^ A genealogy of James and Deborah Reynolds of North Kingstown, Rhode Island ... - Google Books. July 1, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2012.
  2. ^ "William Ayres Reynolds". Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Alumni Princetonian, Volume 2, Number 11, 25 September 1895 IIIF issue link — HERE AND THERE. [ARTICLE]".
  4. ^ "Football.—The Sewanee Season". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, Louisiana. October 28, 1895. p. 8. Retrieved August 5, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ "Billy Reynolds Leaves Georgia". The Atlanta Constitution. Atlanta, Georgia. October 1, 1903. p. 9. Retrieved March 4, 2022 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  6. ^ "Former Athlete Dies in Charlotte". Pensacola News Journal. Pensacola, Florida. Associated Press. August 11, 1928. p. 20. Retrieved June 13, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.