 Kern pictured inThe Monticola 1941, West Virginia yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1906-09-03)September 3, 1906 Kingston, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 1985(1985-04-05) (aged 78) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1925, 1927 | Pittsburgh |
| 1929–1930 | Green Bay Packers |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1936 | Pittsburgh (assistant) |
| 1937–1939 | Carnegie Tech |
| 1940–1942 | West Virginia |
| 1943 | Del Monte Pre-Flight |
| 1946–1947 | West Virginia |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 43–36–2 |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
| |
| Born: | (1906-09-02)September 2, 1906 Kingston, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Died: | April 5, 1985(1985-04-05) (aged 78) |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| College | Pittsburgh |
| High school | Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, PA) |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1929–1930 | Green Bay Packers |
William Franklin Kern (September 2, 1906 – April 5, 1985) was anAmerican football player and coach. He playedcollege football as atackle at theUniversity of Pittsburgh in 1925 and 1927 and then with theGreen Bay Packers of theNational Football League (NFL) in 1929 and 1930. Kern served as the head football coach at theCarnegie Institute of Technology from 1937 to 1939 and atWest Virginia University from 1940 to 1942 and again in 1946 and 1947, compiling a career record of 36–35–2. In 1938, he led theCarnegie Tech Tartans to theSugar Bowl, where they lost to thenational championTCU Horned Frogs, 15–7.
As a player in college, he was a first-team All-Americantackle at theUniversity of Pittsburgh in 1927.[1] Following college, Kern played tackle for theNFL'sGreen Bay Packers in 1929 and 1930.[2]
Kern's tenure at West Virginia was interrupted by military service duringWorld War II. He served as a lieutenant commander in theUnited States Navy from 1943 to 1945.[3]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | AP# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Tech Tartans(Independent)(1937–1939) | |||||||||
| 1937 | Carnegie Tech | 2–5–1 | |||||||
| 1938 | Carnegie Tech | 7–2 | LSugar | 6 | |||||
| 1939 | Carnegie Tech | 3–5 | |||||||
| Carnegie Tech: | 12–12–1 | ||||||||
| West Virginia Mountaineers(Independent)(1940–1942) | |||||||||
| 1940 | West Virginia | 4–4–1 | |||||||
| 1941 | West Virginia | 4–6 | |||||||
| 1942 | West Virginia | 5–4 | |||||||
| Del Monte Pre-Flight Navyators(Independent)(1943) | |||||||||
| 1943 | Del Monte Pre-Flight | 7–1 | 8 | ||||||
| Del Monte Pre-Flight: | 7–1 | ||||||||
| West Virginia Mountaineers(Independent)(1946–1947) | |||||||||
| 1946 | West Virginia | 5–5 | |||||||
| 1947 | West Virginia | 6–4 | |||||||
| West Virginia: | 24–23–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 43–36–2 | ||||||||
| |||||||||