George Thomas Barclay (May 24, 1910 – October 6, 1997) was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Washington and Lee University from 1949 to 1951 and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1953 to 1955, compiling a career college football head coaching record of 28–30–2. Barclay was a standout guard and linebacker at North Carolina. He was a three-year starting player from 1932 to 1934. Barclay made the first team All-Southern Conference as a guard in 1933 and 1934 and was an All-American in 1934.
 Barclay pictured in Yackety Yack 1956, North Carolina yearbook | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 24, 1910 |
| Died | October 6, 1997 (aged 87) Asheville, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1932–1934 | North Carolina |
| Position(s) | Guard, linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1936 | VMI (line) |
| 1937–1939 | North Carolina (asst. freshmen) |
| 1940 | Oberlin (line) |
| 1941–1942 | Dartmouth (line) |
| 1943 | Georgia Pre-Flight (assistant) |
| 1946 | Dartmouth (line) |
| 1947–1948 | Maryland (assistant) |
| 1949–1951 | Washington and Lee |
| 1952 | North Carolina (assistant) |
| 1953–1955 | North Carolina |
| 1957–1966 | North Carolina (assistant) |
| Ice hockey | |
| 1942–1943 | Dartmouth |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 28–30–2 (football) 14–0–1 (ice hockey) |
| Bowls | 0–1 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 1 SoCon (1950) | |
| Awards | |
| |
Early life and playing career
editA native of Natrona, Pennsylvania, Barclay attended The Kiski School in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania.[1]
Coaching career
editWhile serving as head coach at Washington and Lee University, Barclay took the Generals to their only postseason bowl appearance, leading the 1950 Washington and Lee Generals football team to the Gator Bowl, where they were beaten by Wyoming. He was named the Southern Conference and Virginia Coach of the Year. Barclay became an assistant coach at Carolina under Carl Snavely. Snavely was a proponent of the single-wing offense but thought Carolina's players were more suited to the split-T formation, and Barclay helped install it there. In 1953, he was hired as the head football coach. Barclay was dismissed from his alma mater in 1955, and replaced by Jim Tatum, who had been a teammate with him at Carolina.
Death and honors
editBarclay died in the early morning hours of October 6, 1997, at his home in Asheville, North Carolina, following a heart attack.[2][3] The George Barclay Award for outstanding linebacker at North Carolina named in his honor. He was inducted to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1976.[4] Barclay Road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina is named after him.
Head coaching record
editFootball
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington and Lee Generals (Southern Conference) (1949–1951) | |||||||||
| 1949 | Washington and Lee | 3–5–1 | 3–1–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1950 | Washington and Lee | 8–3 | 6–0 | 1st | L Gator | ||||
| 1951 | Washington and Lee | 6–4 | 5–1 | T–3rd | |||||
| Washington and Lee: | 17–12–1 | 14–2–1 | |||||||
| North Carolina Tar Heels (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1953–1955) | |||||||||
| 1953 | North Carolina | 4–6 | 2–3 | T–3rd | |||||
| 1954 | North Carolina | 4–5–1 | 4–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1955 | North Carolina | 3–7 | 3–3 | T–4th | |||||
| North Carolina: | 11–18–1 | 9–8 | |||||||
| Total: | 28–30–2 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
Ice hockey
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth Indians (Quadrangular League) (1942–1943) | |||||||||
| 1942–43 | Dartmouth | 14–0–1 | |||||||
| Dartmouth: | 14–0–1 | ||||||||
| Total: | 14–0–1 | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "1955 Football Blue Book". University of North Carolina. 1955. p. 4. Retrieved September 30, 2021 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ Elling, Steve (October 7, 1997). "UNC Great Barclay dies at 87". The News & Observer. Raleigh, North Carolina. p. 7C. Retrieved September 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com
.
- ^ "Natrona Native, fist UNC All-America". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. TPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. October 8, 1997. p. B6. Retrieved September 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
- ^ "George Barclay". North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
