Bill Lange (coach)
Encyclopedia
William Fisher "Bill" Lange (February 16, 1897 – June 22, 1953) was an American basketball
and football
player and coach. He played college football
and basketball for Wittenberg College
from 1918 to 1921. During the 1922–23 season, he coached the Cleveland Rosenblums
, an early professional basketball team that was known at the time as "the fastest basket ball aggregation in this part of the country." From 1923 to 1936, he was the athletic director and head football and basketball coach at Muskingum College
in Ohio. He was best known for being the head coach
of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
from 1939 through 1944.
in 1897 and raised in Huron, Ohio
. At the time of the 1910 United States Census in April 1910, Lange was living on a farm in Berlin Township, Erie County, Ohio
, with his uncle, Adam Fisher, his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sisters, Hilda and Murnice Lange.
Lange attended Huron High School
where he starred on the basketball and football teams. In June 1918, Lange was employed by the Cleveland Stevedore Co. in Huron, Ohio. Lange joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in July 1918 and was called to active duty in November 1918. He served 108 days of active duty and attained the rank of seaman second class. At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Lange was living in Huron, Ohio, with his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sister, Murnice Lange. He received his honorable discharge from the Naval Reserves in September 1921.
in Springfield, Ohio
. He played college football
as a tackle
on Wittenberg football teams that went undefeated for consecutive seasons in 1919 and 1920. His football coach at Wittenberg was Ernie Godfrey
, who later served as a longtime assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes football
team and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1972. Lange also played on Wittenberg's basketball team and was selected to the All-Ohio team in both sports. He graduated from Wittenberg in 1921.
. During the 1922–23 academic year, he was a coach at West Tech High School in Cleveland.
. The Rosenblums were an early professional basketball team that was known in 1923 as "the fastest basket ball aggregation in this part of the country." The Rosenblums later became one of the founding members of the American Basketball League
in 1925. Some sources indicate that Lange also played for the team.
in New Concord, Ohio
. Upon his hiring, one Ohio newspaper reported: "Lange is a young man of splendid character and has the initiative and ambition together with an attractive personality that make for success as an athletic director and coach." He remained at Muskingum for 13 years until 1936. As the school's head football coach from 1923 to 1935, Lange led the school to an overall record of 71–32–6. He is the third winningest coach in the history of Muskingum's football program. As Muskingum's basketball coach, he compiled a record of 133–94. He also served as the school's athletic director for several years. During the 1925–26 and 1926–27 season, Lange led the Muskingum men's basketball team to records of 17–2 and 19–2. His 1927 Muskingum men's basketball team won the Ohio Conference championship. Lange was instrumental in the construction of McConagha Stadium and a student gymnasium at Muskingum. One Ohio newspaper noted that Lange turned Muskingum into a consistent winner despite several obstacles: "Lange formed winning basketball and football teams despite numerous handicaps. With material never outstanding, Lange put together winning combinations year in and year out."
At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Lange was living in Union Township, Muskingum County, Ohio
, with his wife Juliet Rive Lange and their daughter Harriet S. Lange.
as the Tar Heels football team
's backfield coach and as an assistant professor of physical education. As an assistant coach on the football team, he worked under head coaches Raymond Wolf
(1936–1941), Jim Tatum
(1942), and Tom Young (1943). He became the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 1939. In 1940–41, Lange guided the Tar Heels to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament
appearance. They lost to Pittsburgh
26–20 in the first round. Also during Lange's time coaching North Carolina, George Glamack
became a star player and earned a national player of the year honor.
for Kenyon College
in Gambier, Ohio
. Lange also served as Kenyon's head football and basketball coach during the 1944–1945 school year. In his lone season as the basketball coach, the Kenyon Lords compiled one win—a 30–29 away game defeat of Kent State
.
. He lived in Englewood, Florida
, and worked as a commission merchant dealing in citrus fruit. He later moved to Leesburg, Florida
where he operated a tourist court for three years. In June 1953, he died at age 56 while visiting friends in Wadsworth, Ohio
.
In 1980, Lange was selected as one of the inaugural inductees into the Muskingum University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
and basketball for Wittenberg College
Wittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
from 1918 to 1921. During the 1922–23 season, he coached the Cleveland Rosenblums
Cleveland Rosenblums
The Cleveland Rosenblums was an American basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that was one of the original members of the American Basketball League...
, an early professional basketball team that was known at the time as "the fastest basket ball aggregation in this part of the country." From 1923 to 1936, he was the athletic director and head football and basketball coach at Muskingum College
Muskingum College
Muskingum University is a private four-year comprehensive college with a strong liberal arts tradition located in New Concord, Ohio, approximately sixty miles east of the state capital of Columbus. Founded in 1837, Muskingum University is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church , although since the...
in Ohio. He was best known for being the head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team
North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
from 1939 through 1944.
Early years
Lange was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
in 1897 and raised in Huron, Ohio
Huron, Ohio
Huron is a city in Erie County, Ohio, United States. The population was 7,958 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History and culture:...
. At the time of the 1910 United States Census in April 1910, Lange was living on a farm in Berlin Township, Erie County, Ohio
Berlin Township, Erie County, Ohio
Berlin Township is one of the nine townships of Erie County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Sandusky, Ohio metropolitan statistical area...
, with his uncle, Adam Fisher, his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sisters, Hilda and Murnice Lange.
Lange attended Huron High School
Huron High School (Ohio)
Huron High School is a public high school in Huron, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Huron City Schools district. The athletic teams are known as the Huron Tigers...
where he starred on the basketball and football teams. In June 1918, Lange was employed by the Cleveland Stevedore Co. in Huron, Ohio. Lange joined the U.S. Naval Reserves in July 1918 and was called to active duty in November 1918. He served 108 days of active duty and attained the rank of seaman second class. At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Lange was living in Huron, Ohio, with his mother, Mary Lange, and his younger sister, Murnice Lange. He received his honorable discharge from the Naval Reserves in September 1921.
Wittenberg College
Lange subsequently enrolled at Wittenberg CollegeWittenberg University
Wittenberg University is a private four-year liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio serving 2,000 full-time students representing 37 states and approximately 30 foreign countries...
in Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
as a tackle
Tackle (American football)
Tackle is a playing position in American and Canadian football. Historically, in the one-platoon system a tackle played on both offense and defense. In the modern system of specialized units, offensive tackle and defensive tackle are separate positions....
on Wittenberg football teams that went undefeated for consecutive seasons in 1919 and 1920. His football coach at Wittenberg was Ernie Godfrey
Ernie Godfrey
-External links:...
, who later served as a longtime assistant coach for the Ohio State Buckeyes football
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
team and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1972. Lange also played on Wittenberg's basketball team and was selected to the All-Ohio team in both sports. He graduated from Wittenberg in 1921.
High school coach
After graduating from Wittenberg, Lange coached high school sports at London, OhioLondon, Ohio
London is a city in and the county seat of Madison County, Ohio, United States. Located about southwest of the Ohio capital of Columbus, London was established in 1811 to serve as the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,771, an increase from 7,807 in 1990. It is the...
. During the 1922–23 academic year, he was a coach at West Tech High School in Cleveland.
Cleveland Rosenblums
While coaching high school basketball in Cleveland, Lange also coached the Cleveland RosenblumsCleveland Rosenblums
The Cleveland Rosenblums was an American basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio that was one of the original members of the American Basketball League...
. The Rosenblums were an early professional basketball team that was known in 1923 as "the fastest basket ball aggregation in this part of the country." The Rosenblums later became one of the founding members of the American Basketball League
American Basketball League (1925-1955)
The American Basketball League was an early professional basketball league. During six seasons from 1925-26 to 1930-31, the ABL was the first attempt to create a major professional basketball league in the United States...
in 1925. Some sources indicate that Lange also played for the team.
Muskingum College
In September 1923, he was hired as the athletic director and head coach at Muskingum CollegeMuskingum College
Muskingum University is a private four-year comprehensive college with a strong liberal arts tradition located in New Concord, Ohio, approximately sixty miles east of the state capital of Columbus. Founded in 1837, Muskingum University is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church , although since the...
in New Concord, Ohio
New Concord, Ohio
New Concord is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,651 at the 2000 census. New Concord is the home of Muskingum University and is served by a branch of the Muskingum County Library System.-Geography:...
. Upon his hiring, one Ohio newspaper reported: "Lange is a young man of splendid character and has the initiative and ambition together with an attractive personality that make for success as an athletic director and coach." He remained at Muskingum for 13 years until 1936. As the school's head football coach from 1923 to 1935, Lange led the school to an overall record of 71–32–6. He is the third winningest coach in the history of Muskingum's football program. As Muskingum's basketball coach, he compiled a record of 133–94. He also served as the school's athletic director for several years. During the 1925–26 and 1926–27 season, Lange led the Muskingum men's basketball team to records of 17–2 and 19–2. His 1927 Muskingum men's basketball team won the Ohio Conference championship. Lange was instrumental in the construction of McConagha Stadium and a student gymnasium at Muskingum. One Ohio newspaper noted that Lange turned Muskingum into a consistent winner despite several obstacles: "Lange formed winning basketball and football teams despite numerous handicaps. With material never outstanding, Lange put together winning combinations year in and year out."
At the time of the 1930 United States Census, Lange was living in Union Township, Muskingum County, Ohio
Union Township, Muskingum County, Ohio
Union Township is one of the twenty-five townships of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 4,359 people in the township, 1,595 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, with his wife Juliet Rive Lange and their daughter Harriet S. Lange.
University of North Carolina
In July 1936, Lange left Muskingum to accept a position at the University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
as the Tar Heels football team
North Carolina Tar Heels football
The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566...
's backfield coach and as an assistant professor of physical education. As an assistant coach on the football team, he worked under head coaches Raymond Wolf
Raymond Wolf
Raymond Bernard "Bear" Wolf was an American football player and coach. Wolf was a native of Illinois and an alumnus of Texas Christian University, where he played college football and baseball...
(1936–1941), Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
(1942), and Tom Young (1943). He became the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball team in 1939. In 1940–41, Lange guided the Tar Heels to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament
1941 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page.-See also:* 1941 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
appearance. They lost to Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
26–20 in the first round. Also during Lange's time coaching North Carolina, George Glamack
George Glamack
George Gregory Glamack was an American basketball player.The 6'7" giant, during that era, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Glamack, an All-America in 1940 and 1941, was nicknamed the Blind Bomber because of his poor eyesight and remarkably accurate hook shot...
became a star player and earned a national player of the year honor.
Kenyon College
In 1944, Lange left North Carolina to become the athletic directorAthletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
for Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
in Gambier, Ohio
Gambier, Ohio
Gambier is a village in Knox County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,871 at the 2000 census.Gambier is the home of Kenyon College and was named after one of Kenyon College's early benefactors, Lord Gambier....
. Lange also served as Kenyon's head football and basketball coach during the 1944–1945 school year. In his lone season as the basketball coach, the Kenyon Lords compiled one win—a 30–29 away game defeat of Kent State
Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball
The Kent State Golden Flashes men's basketball team represents Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. The Golden Flashes compete in the Mid-American Conference East Division and last played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2008...
.
Later years and honors
Lange retired from coaching in 1945 and moved to FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. He lived in Englewood, Florida
Englewood, Florida
Englewood is a census-designated place in Charlotte and Sarasota counties in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 16,196.Englewood also was the original name for Vineland, Florida...
, and worked as a commission merchant dealing in citrus fruit. He later moved to Leesburg, Florida
Leesburg, Florida
Leesburg is a city in Lake County, Florida, United States. The population was 15,956 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 19,086.. Leesburg is located in central Florida, between Lake Harris and Lake Griffin, at the head of the Oklawaha River system....
where he operated a tourist court for three years. In June 1953, he died at age 56 while visiting friends in Wadsworth, Ohio
Wadsworth, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 18,437 people, 7,276 households, and 5,144 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,940.5 people per square mile . There were 7,613 housing units at an average density of 801.3/sq mi...
.
In 1980, Lange was selected as one of the inaugural inductees into the Muskingum University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987.