Wilford Moore

Wilford Harve Moore (November 20, 1919 – January 21, 2014) was an American football coach. He was the highest winning coach in McMurry Indians football history and had the McMurry football stadium named in his honor.[1]

Wilford Moore
Biographical details
Born(1919-11-20)November 20, 1919
Littlefield, Texas
DiedJanuary 21, 2014(2014-01-21) (aged 94)
Amarillo, Texas
Playing career
1938–1940Hardin–Simmons
Position(s)Guard, linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1947–1954McMurry
1956–1957Lubbock HS (TX)
1958–1962Port Neches-Groves HS (TX)
1963–1964Cleburne HS (TX)
Head coaching record
Overall49–29–5 (college)
52–44–5 (high school)
Bowls1–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4 Texas Conference (1947–1949, 1953)
Awards
3× AP Texas Conference Coach of the Year (1948–1949, 1953)

A native of Littlefield, Texas,[2] Moore earned his physical education degree from Hardin–Simmons University in 1941. He was an assistant coach at Abilene High in the fall of 1941, but joined the United States Army Air Corps on December 9 following the attack on Pearl Harbor.

After returning from World War II, he served as an assistant in 1946 at McMurry and then became the head coach the next year, coaching at McMurry from 1947 to 1954. Moore coached the Indians to a 49–29–5 record and led them to the Oleander Bowl in 1949.

Moore later coached at Lubbock High School, Port Neches-Groves High School and Cleburne High School before returning to Abilene, Texas in 1972 where he lived for the rest of his life.

At Hardin–Simmons, he played alongside Bulldog Turner, who later starred for the Chicago Bears in the National Football League (NFL). At McMurry he coached players like Les Cowan, Brad Rowland and Grant Teaff.[3]

Moore was the only person to be inducted into the athletic halls of fame at both Hardin–Simmons University and McMurry University.[4] Since Moore played for Hardin-Simmons and coached at McMurry, both schools created a trophy named in his honor for the crosstown game.[5]

Head coaching record

College
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
McMurry Indians (Texas Conference) (1947–1954)
1947 McMurry 7–3–14–1T–1stL Boys' Ranch Bowl
1948 McMurry 6–44–11st
1949 McMurry 8–2–14–0–11stW Oleander Bowl
1950 McMurry 4–52–3T–3rd
1951 McMurry 3–71–34th
1952 McMurry 4–4–13–12nd
1953 McMurry 8–1–13–1T–1st
1954 McMurry 6–3–11–12nd
McMurry: 49–29–522–11–1
Total:49–29–5
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References
  1. McMurry renames football and track stadium to Wilford Moore Stadium
  2. Moore, Wilford Harve. "Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935,". FamilySearch. Retrieved October 15, 2013.
  3. Players pay tribute to coaching great
  4. Moore is only due Hall-of-Famer for HSU and McMurry
  5. HSU and McMurry create Wilford Moore trophy for crosstown game
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