Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | February 22, 1899
Died | June 30, 1983 Dallas, Texas, U.S. | (aged 84)
Playing career | |
Football | |
1916–1919 | Centre |
Position(s) | End |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
Football | |
1920–1921 | Haskell |
1922 | Carroll (WI) |
1923–1928 | TCU |
1929–1933 | Texas A&M |
1935–1941 | SMU |
1945–1949 | SMU |
Basketball | |
1923–1929 | TCU |
Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
1947–1964 | SMU |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 153–88–17 (football) 71–41 (basketball) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
Football 1 National (1935) 4 SWC (1935, 1940, 1947–1948) | |
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in 1955 (profile) |
William Madison "Matty" Bell (February 22, 1899 – June 30, 1983) was an American football player, coach of football and basketball, and college athletics administrator. He played for Centre, captain of its 1918 team. He served as the head football coach at the Haskell Institute (1920–1921), Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin (1922),[1] Texas Christian University (1923–1928), Texas A&M University (1929–1933), and Southern Methodist University (1935–1941, 1945–1949), compiling a career college football record of 147–88–17. His 1935 SMU Mustangs, which have been recognized as a national champion, went 12–0 in the regular season before losing to Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Bell was also the head basketball coach at Texas Christian for six seasons from 1923 to 1929, tallying a mark of 71–41. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1955. After retiring from coaching following the 1949 season, Bell served as the athletic director at Southern Methodist until 1964. He died in 1983 in Dallas, Texas.