Willis Bates

Willis Sherman "Bill" Bates was an American football and basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Fairmount College, now Wichita State University, (1905–1908) and Southwestern College in Kansas (1914–1925), compiling a career record of 80–49–12. He also coached basketball at Fairmount (1905–1908) and Southwestern (1914–1926), tallying a career mark of 179–79.

Fairmount College
Bates was the sixth head football coach for Fairmount College, now Wichita State University, located in Wichita, Kansas and he held that position for four seasons, from 1905 until 1908. His overall coaching record at Fairmount was 28 wins, 8 losses, and 3 ties. This ranks him second at Fairmont/Wichita State in terms of total wins and third at Wichita State in terms of winning percentage.

Night game
Bates was the head coach for the 1905 Cooper vs. Fairmount football game played on October 6, 1905 at Association Field in Wichita The game was played at night under gas lamps as a demonstration by the Coleman Company and was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River. Fairmount won by a score of 24–0.

Experimental game
Bates was the head coach for Fairmount in the 1905 Washburn vs. Fairmount football game that took place on December 25, 1905. The game was played against the Washburn Ichabods using a set of experimental rules and was officiated by then Washburn head coach John H. Outland.

Southwestern College
Bates was the sixth head football coach at Southwestern College in Winfield, Kansas and held that position 12 years, from 1914 to 1925. His coaching record at Southwestern was 52 wins, 36 losses, and 9 ties. As of completion of the 2009 season, this ranks him third at Southwestern in terms of total wins and 14th at Southwestern in terms of total winning percentage. He is the longest-tenured coach in Southwestern's football history having served as head coach for 102 games and was mentor for future Southwestern coach Art Kahler.

Bates also served as the head basketball coach at Southwestern for twelve seasons, from 1914 until 1926, where the Moundbuilders were considered one of the best basketball teams in the nation at the time. His basketball teams amassed a record of 164 wins and 59 losses (.735).