William R. Cruse
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 23, 1895 Lockport Township, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | June 23, 1944 (aged 49) Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan (1919) |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1917–1919 | Michigan |
| Position(s) | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1921 | Central (IA) |
| Basketball | |
| 1922–1923 | Central (IA) |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1921–1923 | Central (IA) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 2–2–1 (football) 2–13 (basketball)[1] |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
William Roy Cruse (May 23, 1895 – June 23, 1944) was an American engineer, college athletics coach, and college administrator. He was the athletic director, head football coach, and basketball coach for Central College in the early 1920s.
A 1919 graduate of the University of Michigan, Cruse was a member of the national championship 1918 Michigan Wolverines football team under Fielding H. Yost as a halfback.[2]
Cruse worked as an engineer for Jackson, Michigan.[3] He later worked as the assistant chief engineer for the Michigan State Highway department.[3] He died on June 23, 1944, after a long illness in his home in Lansing, Michigan.[3]
Head coaching record
Football
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Dutch (Independent) (1921) | |||||||||
| 1921 | Central | 2–2–1 | |||||||
| Central: | 2–2–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 2–2–1 | ||||||||
References
- ^ "Basketball Coaching Records". Central College Dutch men's basketball. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ "The Michigan Technic, Volumes 34-35". University of Michigan libraries. 1921. Retrieved December 30, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Rites Monday for William R. Cruse". The Bay City Times. June 25, 1944. p. 22. Retrieved June 17, 2025.
- ^ "Year-by-Year Records". Central College Dutch football. Retrieved December 30, 2018.