J. Wilder Tasker
Joshua Wilder Tasker (June 25, 1887 – March 14, 1974) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Connecticut Agricultural College—now known as the University of Connecticut—from 1921 to 1922, the College of William & Mary from 1923 to 1927, and Rutgers University from 1931 to 1937, compiling a career college football record of 67–52–11. Wilder was also the head basketball coach at Connecticut from 1921 to 1923 and William & Mary from 1923 to 1928, tallying a career college basketball mark of 66–49. In addition he served as the head baseball coach at Connecticut (1922–1923), William & Mary (1924–1928), and Rutgers (1932–1937), amassing a career college baseball record of 88–108–4.
Tasker pictured in The Colonial Echo 1924, William & Mary yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 25, 1887 Richmond, Maine, U.S. |
| Died | March 14, 1974 (aged 86) Kilmarnock, Virginia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1907–1911 | Syracuse |
| 1912–1913 | Union (NY) |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1921–1922 | Connecticut |
| 1924–1927 | William & Mary |
| 1931–1937 | Rutgers |
| Basketball | |
| 1921–1923 | Connecticut |
| 1923–1928 | William & Mary |
| Baseball | |
| 1922–1923 | Connecticut |
| 1924–1928 | William & Mary |
| 1932–1937 | Rutgers |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1923–1928 | William & Mary |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 67–52–11 (football) 66–49 (basketball) 88–108–4 (baseball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 Virginia Conference (1927) 4 Middle Three (1932–1935) Basketball 1 Virginia Conference (1928) | |
Coaching career edit
Tasker became athletic coach at Connecticut Agricultural College—now known as the University of Connecticut—in 1921.[1] He resigned as coach at Connecticut in January 1923.[2] Connecticut's athletic director, Roy J. Guyer, took over coaching of the Connecticut Aggies men's basketball team.[3]
In March 1923, Tasker was hired at athletic director and coach at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.[4]
Later life and death edit
After leaving from coaching, Tasker ran an insurance business in Orange, New Jersey. He retired in the 1960s and moved to Kilmarnock, Virginia, where he died at his home, on March 14, 1974.[5]
Head coaching record edit
Football edit
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Aggies (Athletic League of New England State Colleges) (1921–1922) | |||||||||
| 1921 | Connecticut | 3–2–3 | 0–2 | ||||||
| 1922 | Connecticut | 2–6–1 | 0–3 | ||||||
| Connecticut: | 5–8–4 | 0–5 | |||||||
| William & Mary Indians (Independent) (1923–1926) | |||||||||
| 1923 | William & Mary | 7–3 | |||||||
| 1924 | William & Mary | 5–2–1 | |||||||
| 1925 | William & Mary | 7–4 | |||||||
| 1926 | William & Mary | 7–3 | |||||||
| William & Mary Indians (Virginia Conference) (1927) | |||||||||
| 1927 | William & Mary | 4–5–1 | 2–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| William and Mary: | 30–17–2 | 2–0–1 | |||||||
| Rutgers Queensmen (Middle Three Conference) (1931–1937) | |||||||||
| 1931 | Rutgers | 4–3–1 | 1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1932 | Rutgers | 6–3–1 | 2–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1933 | Rutgers | 6–3–1 | 2–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1934 | Rutgers | 5–3–1 | 2–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1935 | Rutgers | 4–5 | 2–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1936 | Rutgers | 1–6–1 | 0–1 | T–2nd | |||||
| 1937 | Rutgers | 5–4 | 1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| Rutgers: | 31–27–5 | 10–3 | |||||||
| Total: | 66–52–11 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
Basketball edit
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Aggies (Athletic League of New England State Colleges) (1921–1923) | |||||||||
| 1921–22 | Connecticut | 15–4 | 6–1 | ||||||
| 1922–23 | Connecticut | 0–1[n 1] | 0–0[n 1] | [n 1] | |||||
| Connecticut: | 15–5 | 6–1 | |||||||
| William & Mary Indians (Virginia Conference) (1923–1928) | |||||||||
| 1923–24 | William & Mary | 8–16 | 3–8 | ||||||
| 1924–25 | William & Mary | 13–6 | 7–2 | ||||||
| 1925–26 | William & Mary | 8–9 | 3–3 | ||||||
| 1926–27 | William & Mary | 7–8 | 4–4 | ||||||
| 1927–28 | William & Mary | 15–5 | 9–0 | 1st | |||||
| William & Mary: | 51–44 | 26–17 | |||||||
| Total: | 66–49 | ||||||||
| National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
Baseball edit
The following table depicts Tasker's record as head baseball coach at Connecticut.[6]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut Aggies (1922–1923) | |||||||||
| 1922 | Connecticut | 8–9 | |||||||
| 1923 | Connecticut | 4–9 | |||||||
| Total: | 12–18 | ||||||||
Notes edit
- ^ a b c Tasker resigned in January 1923 after the first game of the season, before the start of conference play. Roy J. Guyer coached the remainder of the season. Connecticut finished 8–7 overall and 2–1 in conference]] play
References edit
- ^ "New Coach At Connecticut Aggie Is Now In Charge". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. September 22, 1921. p. 17. Retrieved August 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Tasker Quits as Athletic Coach at Storrs, "Spud" Drew Considered as Likely Successor". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. January 6, 1923. p. 10. Retrieved August 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Tasker Resigns; Hunt Is after His Berth". The Bridgeport Telegram. Bridgeport, Connecticut. January 14, 1923. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "Noted Syracuse Star Signs As Indian Athletic Director". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Richmond, Virginia. March 29, 1923. p. 10. Retrieved August 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "J. Wilder Tasker, 88, Ex-Rutgers grid coach". The Home News. New Brunswick, New Jersey. March 15, 1974. p. 38. Retrieved April 14, 2022 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ (PDF). uconnhuskies.com. pp. 40, 59. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
External links edit
- J. Wilder Tasker at Find a Grave