 Higgins pictured in the Spokane Daily Chronicle, 1919 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1894 Almira, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | (1944-09-25)September 25, 1944 Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| c. 1913 | Gonzaga |
| 1917–1918 | Saint Louis |
| Basketball | |
| c. 1913 | Gonzaga |
| Baseball | |
| c. 1913 | Gonzaga |
| Position(s) | Fullback, halfback (football) Guard (basketball) Catcher (baseball) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1914 | Loyola HS (MT) |
| 1919 | Gonzaga |
| Basketball | |
| 1914–1915 | Loyola HS (MT) |
| 1915–1916 | Gonzaga |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 2–3 (college football) 2–7 (college basketball) |
William S. Higgins (1894 – September 25, 1944) was an American college football player, coach, and official, college basketball coach, and dentist. He served as the head football coach at Gonzaga University for one season, in 1919, compiling a record of 2–3. Higgins was also the head basketball coach at Gonzaga for the 1915–16 season, tallying a mark of 2–7.
Higgins was born in Almira, Washington. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball at Gonzaga. He played a guard in basketball and as a catcher on the baseball team before graduating from in 1914. Higgins spent the 1914–15 year at Loyoyla High School in Missoula, Montana as a teacher and coach football and basketball. Higgins then went to Saint Louis University to study dentistry. There again played football, as a fullback and halfback. He was elected captain of the 1918 Saint Louis Billikens football team. After earning his dental degree from Saint Louis in 1919, he returned to Gonzaga as athletic coach.
Higgins later officiated football games for the Pacific Coast Conference. He practiced as a dentist in Spokane, Washington until retiring in 1944 due to poor health. Higgins died on September 25, 1944, in Spokane.
Head coaching record
Football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzaga Blue and White (Independent) (1919) | |||||||||
| 1919 | Gonzaga | 2–3 | |||||||
| Gonzaga: | 2–3 | ||||||||
| Total: | 2–3 | ||||||||
References
- "2024-25 Gonzaga Men's Basketball Record Book" (PDF). Gonzaga University Athletics. pp. 56–57. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
- "Bill Higgins To Coach Gonzaga Grid Warriors". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Spokane, Washington. August 18, 1919. p. 12. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com [REDACTED] .
- Wallar, Glen L. (December 2, 1917). "Rademacher Will Depart Today and His Return Is Not Certain Next Season". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. p. 12. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com [REDACTED] .
- "Ex-Loyola Man Gonzaga Coach". The Missoula Sentinel. Missoula, Montana. August 21, 1919. p. 8. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com [REDACTED] .
- "Death Summons Dr. W. S. Higgins". The Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. September 26, 1944. p. 1. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com [REDACTED] .
- "William Higgins Passes at Spokane". The Missoulian. Missoula, Montana. September 27, 1944. p. 5. Retrieved January 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com [REDACTED] .
- "NCAA Statistics; Coach; William Higgins; Football". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
External links
| Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball head coaches | |
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| Gonzaga Bulldogs head football coaches | |
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- 1894 births
- 1944 deaths
- 20th-century American dentists
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