William’s Obituary William R. (Bill) Young, 94, passed away peacefully in his sleep on April 28, 2019. Bill, best known as “Coach,” was living in California near his son Danny and daughter-in-law Kristen. Bill was born July 31, 1924 in Dunbar.
He was the middle sibling of three brothers, Paul and Robert. Bill was a three-sport star athlete and all-state track performer at Dunbar High School. He was called into the armed services before he got the opportunity to play in the W.Va.
North-South All-Star football game. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II from 1943-46, Bill enrolled in Marshall College and played football for famous coach Cam Henderson. While at Marshall, he met his future wife Rose Farry.
Bill was the starting running back in the Thundering Herd’s first-ever bowl game — the 1947 Tangerine Bowl. He was awarded a degree in Education and began his 35-year year career of teaching history and coaching boys’ basketball. That was when Bill became better known by all simply as “Coach,” a nickname bestowed with honor and respect from his many students and players.
Bill became the first and only coach in the state of West Virginia to coach three different boys’ basketball teams to state tournament championships in three different classes – Burch (26-1 record) in Class B in 1957, alma mater Dunbar in Class AAA (24-2 in 1966) and Dunbar, again, in Class AA (23-4) with his son, Michael, playing shooting guard in the final game of Bill’s 35-year coaching career in 1985. He also was South Charleston High School’s head football coach for six years and also coached baseball and football at Dunbar. After 35 years of coaching and all the momentous accomplishments that accompanied it, Coach Young and his life-long friend and fellow coach at Dunbar, Delmar Good, agreed they would retire together.
Bill’s career was capped off by being inducted into the West Virginia Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2000. He is preceded in death by his brothers, Paul and Robert; and his beloved wife, Rose. He is survived by his sons, Michael and Danny and his wife Kristen.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 6 at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral with The Very Reverend Donald X. Higgs VF officiating. Burial will be at 1 p.m. in Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery, Dunbar. Friends may visit from 6 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 5 at Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.
In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made in Bill’s memory to the Dunbar Athletic Boosters, PO Box 843, Dunbar, WV 25064.
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