Year Inducted: 1978
Nominated By: Ethel "Teach" Wentworth
Sports Competed In: N/A
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Coach, Contributor
High School:
Attended Lisbon H.S., Lisbon, Iowa, graduating in 1909...Played four years of football (1905-09).
College:
Went Cornell College, in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, where he graduated in 1914...Furthered his education at the Bob Guppke school of coaching at the University of Illinois (UI), graduating in 1920.
Achievements:
College:
● Member of the football team (1910-13) and baseball squad (1911-14) at West Cornell College.
● Played baseball in the 3-1 League which consisted of teams from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana for five years (1910-15) while attending summer school at UI.
Coaching Career:
● Started his football coaching career at West Union Iowa H.S. (1919-20).
● Moved to Colorado to take the reins of the Pueblo Centennial H.S. football program compiling a seven-year record of 29-21-4 from 1920-26.
● Re-instated a defunct athletic program between Pueblo Central H.S. and Pueblo Centennial H.S. upon his arrival to Pueblo in 1920.
● On Nov. 29, 1923, his Bulldog team beat Pueblo Central H.S. led by Earl "Dutch" Clark during his junior season 5-0.
● Defeated Clark's team again during his senior year, 22-13, in 1924.
● Willard also coached basketball, baseball, track and rifle at Pueblo Centennial H.S.
● Rifle teams won High honors in Regional, State, and National Matches and were the state high school Division Champs in 1930, 1931, 1932.
Year-by-year football records while head coach at Pueblo Centennial H.S.
Year
1920
1921
1922
1923
1924
1925
1926
Record
3-3-0
4-4-0
5-2-1
6-2-1
5-3-0
2-2-0
4-5-0
Related Activities:
● Became the Athletic Director at Pueblo Centennial H.S., a position he held for 14 years (1927-41) after coaching.
● Responsible for organizing the First Annual Centennial Track Meet in 1927.
● Retired in 1941 and was called into service a reserve officer during World War II.
Honors:
Honored in 1976 by Pueblo Centennial as a "Master Teacher" at the high school's Bi-Centennial banquet.
Occupation:
Teacher, coach and athletic director for School District #60 (Pueblo Centennial H.S.).
Personal:
Lived in Pueblo until his death on June 16, 1983.
