Reinhart, Bill
From GWUEncyc
Faculty; Athletic Hall of Fame
William Jennings Bryan Reinhart (1897-1971) was a basketball, football and baseball coach at GW from 1935-1942 and 1949-1966. In between he served in the Navy and was the director of athletics and personal training at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Born in Osborne, Missouri, he went on to attain a B.A. in business administration from the University of Oregon in 1922. He was a three-sport athlete there, quarterbacking the football team in the 1920 Rose Bowl, which Harvard won 7-6. After graduation, he continued at the University of Oregon (1923-1935) as a staff member, concurrently as the basketball and baseball coach and an instructor of physical education.
Reinhart came to GW in 1935, and coached Alphonse “Tuffy” Leemans, who went on to a Hall of Fame football career with the New York Giants, and Red Auerbach, legendary coach of the Boston Celtics and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Auerbach said of Rhinhart in 1966: “He was twenty years ahead of his time and did well with the toughest schedule in the country in those days [the late 1930s]. He taught me the type of basketball I coach.” Reinhart’s overall baseball record was 193-133; his football record was 16-17-1; and his basketball record was 316-239. Awards include the Helms Basketball Hall of Fame (1956) and the GW Hall of Fame Award (1993).
Document Information
Images: 2
Photographic Credit: Cherry Tree, 1940; Reinhart Papers/MS2140[1]
Author or Source: Public Relations biographical files; Reinhart Papers/MS2140
Document Location: University Archives
Date Added to Encyclopedia: December 21, 2006
Prepared by: Lyle Slovick, Assistant University Archivist
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