Ralph Welch
American football player and coach (1907–1974)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
W. Ralph "Pest" Welch (January 13, 1907 – September 15, 1974) was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Washington from 1942 to 1947, compiling a record of 27–20–3. Welch led his 1943 Washington squad to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to USC, 29–0.[1] He played college football at Purdue University as a halfback under head coach James Phelan, whom he followed to Washington as an assistant in 1930.
.jpg)
Collinsville, Texas, U.S.
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Welch from 1947 Tyee yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 13, 1907 Collinsville, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | September 15, 1974 (aged 67) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1927–1929 | Purdue |
| Position | Halfback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1930–1937 | Washington (assistant) |
| 1939–1941 | Washington (assistant) |
| 1942–1947 | Washington |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 27–20–3 |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
When Washington athletic director Ray Eckmann removed Phelan after the 1941 season,[2][3][4] he selected Welch to replace him. Popular with the players, Welch wielded a reputation as a great scout of talent. Eckmann retained Welch on a year-to-year basis with an initial $9,000 per season salary, matching Phelan's final salary.[5]
Welch died on September 15, 1974, at University Hospital in Seattle, Washington.[6]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | AP# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Huskies (Pacific Coast Conference) (1942–1947) | |||||||||
| 1942 | Washington | 4–3–3 | 3–3–2 | 6th | |||||
| 1943 | Washington | 4–1 | 0–1 | 3rd | L Rose | 12 | |||
| 1944 | Washington | 5–3 | 1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1945 | Washington | 6–3 | 6–3 | 3rd | |||||
| 1946 | Washington | 5–4 | 5–3 | 4th | |||||
| 1947 | Washington | 3–6 | 2–5 | T–7th | |||||
| Washington: | 27–20–3 | 17–16–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 27–20–3 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
