Wesley Fry

NFL player
Name=Wes "Cowboy" Fry
Caption=
DateOfBirth=December 10, 1902
Birthplace=Hartley, Iowa, United States
DateOfDeath=1970
Deathplace=
Position=Fullback
College=Iowa
DraftedYear=
DraftedRound=
Career Highlights=
Awards=
Honors=
Records=
Retired #s=
administrating_years= 1960–1963
administrating_teams= Oakland Raiders
Stats=Y
DatabaseFootball=FRYWES01
PFR=
years=1926–1927
teams=New York Yankees
ProBowls=
CollegeHOF=
HOF=

Wesley Leonard "Cowboy" Fry (1902–1970) was an American football player and coach, as well as an early executive with the Oakland Raiders.

Fry played college football at the University of Iowa under legendary coach Howard Jones, excelling as a fullback. He was named to play in the first East-West Shrine Game following his senior season in 1925. Fry then spent the 1926 and 1927 seasons playing professional football with Red Grange for the New York Yankees. [http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=cangrang] At the same time, Fry was attending law school.

After earning his law degree Fry quit playing professional football and sought to practice law in Oklahoma, but he was quickly diverted onto the path of a football coach. He began his career coaching football at high schools and small colleges in Oklahoma. In 1934, when future Hall of Fame coach Pappy Waldorf moved north from Oklahoma State to Kansas State, he hired Fry to be his lone assistant coach at K-State. Then, when Waldorf left Kansas State after one season, Fry was hired as the new head coach at Kansas State in 1935.

Fry held the head coaching position at Kansas State for five seasons, posting an 18-21-6 record. Fry stepped aside following the 1939 season when his own assistant coach began politicking for the job. In the 1940 season, Fry rejoined Waldorf as an assistant coach at Northwestern University. In 1947, Fry moved with Waldorf to the University of California. Fry remained Waldorf's assistant coach at Cal through the end of Waldorf's term, in 1956, despite receiving offers of head coaching positions from Oregon State University and Arizona State University.

In 1960, Fry joined the Oakland Raiders organization, which was commencing operations as a member of the American Football League. Fry first served as director of player personnel, then as general manager of the franchise until 1963, when Al Davis was hired as general manager and head coach.

Major college coaching record

CFB Yearly Record Start
type=coach
team=
conf=
bowl= no
poll= bothCFB Yearly Record Subhead
name = Kansas State
conf = Big Six Conference
startyear = 1935
endyear = 1939CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1935
name = Kansas State
overall = 2-4-3
conference = 1-2-2
confstanding = 4th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1936
name = Kansas State
overall = 4-3-2
conference = 2-1-2
confstanding = 3rd
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1937
name = Kansas State
overall = 4-5
conference = 1-4
confstanding = 5th (tie)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1938
name = Kansas State
overall = 4-4-1
conference = 1-3-1
confstanding = 5th
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Entry
championship =
year = 1939
name = Kansas State
overall = 4-5
conference = 1-4
confstanding = 4th (tie)
bowlname =
bowloutcome =
bcsbowl =
ranking =
ranking2 = CFB Yearly Record Subtotal
name = Kansas State
overall = 18-21-6
confrecord = 6-14-5CFB Yearly Record End
overall = 18-21-6
bcs = no
poll=two
polltype=
polltype2=

References

* Fitzgerald, Tim (2001). "Wildcat Gridiron Guide" (ISBN 0-9703458-0-1)

Persondata
NAME=Fry, Wesley Leonard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Fry, Wes
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Football player & coach
DATE OF BIRTH=1902
PLACE OF BIRTH=Hartley, Iowa
DATE OF DEATH=1970
PLACE OF DEATH=