| W. C. Dowd | |
| Birth Date: | 21 March 1865 |
| Birth Place: | Moore County, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Death Place: | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Player Team1: | Wake Forest[1] |
| Player Positions: | Quarterback |
| Coach Years1: | 1888 |
| Coach Team1: | Wake Forest |
| Overall Record: | 1–0 |
William Carey Dowd Sr. (March 21, 1865 – September 23, 1927) was an American college football player and coach, politician, and publisher. He served as the first head football coach at Wake Forest University, coaching the team for one game in 1888. Dowd later became a Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives and established a newspaper, The Charlotte News.
Dowd was born on March 21, 1865, in Moore County, North Carolina.[2] He died on September 23, 1927, at his home in Charlotte, North Carolina.[3]