Joe Echols
Biographical details
Born(1917-03-23)March 23, 1917
DiedMarch 28, 1977(1977-03-28) (aged 60)
Playing career
Baseball
1939Newark Eagles
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1950–1954Morehouse
1955–1960Norfolk State
Head coaching record
Overall44–41–3
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
2 Eastern Intercollegiate (1957, 1959)

Joseph G. Echols (March 23, 1917 – March 28, 1977)[1] was an American football coach, college athletics administrator, and Negro league baseball player.

Early life and baseball career

Raised in Englewood, New Jersey, Echols played prep football at St. Cecilia High School in Englewood.[2][3] In 1939, Echols played for the Newark Eagles of the Negro National League.[4]

Coaching career

Echols served as the head football coach at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia from 1950 to 1954 and at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia from 1955 to 1960. The home basketball arena on Norfolk State's campus is named Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall in his honor.[5]

Death

Echols died at the age of 60, on March 28, 1977.[3][6]

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Morehouse Maroon Tigers (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1950–1954)
1950 Morehouse 1–6–1
1951 Morehouse 3–4 2–3 11th
1952 Morehouse 3–5–1
1953 Morehouse 5–3
1954 Morehouse 4–4
Morehouse: 16–22–2
Norfolk State Spartans (Eastern Intercollegiate Conference) (1955–1960)
1955 Norfolk State 3–5
1956 Norfolk State 2–6
1957 Norfolk State 5–1 1st
1958 Norfolk State 5–3
1959 Norfolk State 7–1–1 1st
1960 Norfolk State 6–3
Norfolk State: 28–19–1
Total: 44–41–3
      National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth

References

  1. ^ "Joseph Echols". Fold3. Retrieved April 13, 2020.
  2. ^ Borzi, Pat. "A Touch of Lombardi in Norfolk State’s Past", The New York Times, March 18, 2012. Accessed December 17, 2019. "The Norfolk State basketball arena, Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall, is named for the former Norfolk State coach and athletic director who was a native of Englewood, N.J. Echols played various sports at St. Cecelia’s High School in Englewood, and he briefly played baseball for the Newark Eagles in the Negro leagues. He graduated from St. Cecelia’s a few years before an energetic young coach, Vince Lombardi, took over the football team, but they became friends."
  3. ^ a b "Services Planned for Joe Echols 60". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. April 7, 1977. p. C8. Retrieved December 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  4. ^ "Joe Echols". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  5. ^ "Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall". Norfolk State Spartans. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  6. ^ Nunn Jr., William (April 23, 1977). "Death of Norfolk State's Joe Echols shocks friends". Pittsburgh Courier. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. p. 9. Retrieved December 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.

External links

Morehouse Maroon Tigers head football coaches
Norfolk State Spartans head football coaches
Norfolk State Spartans athletic directors
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