North Carolina Central University Athletics

William "Big Coach" Burghardt joined North Carolina College in 1937 and left in 1942, but his Midwestern recruiting connections - he played side-by-side with Ronald "Dutch" Reagan at Eureka College and earned his master's degree from the University of Iowa - had put the Eagles on the short list of football powers in those five years.

His 1941 team would have won the CIAA championship, had an ineligible player not been on the roster.

After leaving NCCU, Burghardt coached at Lincoln University, West Virginia State College, and Morgan State College. He headed Morgan's physical educa­tion department in the early 50s, and became chairman of health and physical education at Bowie State College in 1969. He retired from Bowie in 1974 and died in 1981.