Thomas Dowler Explained

Thomas Dowler
Birth Date:3 July 1908
Birth Place:Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1]
Death Place:Fulton County, Georgia, U.S.
Player Sport1:Football
Player Years2:1927–1929
Player Team2:Colgate
Player Years3:1931
Player Team3:Brooklyn Dodgers
Player Sport4:Basketball
Player Years5:1928–1931
Player Team5:Colgate
Player Sport6:Baseball
Player Years7:1930
Player Team7:Colgate
Player Positions:Quarterback (football)
Coach Sport1:Football
Coach Years2:1931
Coach Team2:Colgate (assistant)
Coach Years3:1935
Coach Team3:William & Mary
Coach Years4:1939–1940
Coach Team4:Akron
Coach Sport5:Basketball
Coach Years6:1934–1937
Coach Team6:William & Mary
Coach Years7:1939–1940
Coach Team7:Akron
Overall Record:10–13–5 (football)
30–43 (basketball)

Thomas Moran "Spook" Dowler[2] (July 3, 1908 – December 6, 1986) was an American football, basketball, and baseball player and coach of football and basketball. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary in 1935 and at the University of Akron in 1939 and 1940, compiling a career college football record of 10–13–5. Dowler also coached the William & Mary men's basketball team from 1934 to 1937[3] and the Akron Zips men's basketball team in 1939–40, tallying a career college basketball mark of 30–43. Dowler played football, basketball, and baseball at Colgate University. He played with the Brooklyn Dodgers in the National Football League (NFL) for two games in 1931.

Coaching career

William & Mary had not yet joined an athletic conference during Dowler's first two seasons as head basketball coach, but for his third and final season, the Tribe had become a member of the Southern Conference. Dowler holds the dubious distinction of being the only men's basketball coach in school history to guide his team to a winless season. The Tribe went 0–13 in conference play and 0–18 overall during the 1936–37 season. Dowler went 21–29 over his three years at William & Mary.[3] He finished his one-year stint as basketball coach at Akron with a 9–14 record.

Later life and death

Dowler served in the United States Navy as a lietenant during World War II. He later resided in Atlanta and died on December 6, 1986.[4]

Head coaching record

Football

Notes and References

  1. News: . Akron Picks Tom Dowler—Former Colgate U. Star to Direct Zipper Grid Team . . . . July 15, 1939 . 7 . September 21, 2018 . .
  2. Web site: Tommy Dowler Past Stats, Statistics, History, and Awards - databaseFootball.com . June 30, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120531175317/http://databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=DOWLETOM01 . May 31, 2012 .
  3. http://www.tribeathletics.com/story.php/6213/ William & Mary men's basketball history - Media Guide 2007-08
  4. News: . Dowler . . . December 10, 1986 . 24 . May 10, 2020 . .