A legendary coach and mentor to future coaches, Bill McArthur (July 28, 1918 – April 24, 1997) spent a full career in Monmouth in three different stints as head football coach at the school formerly know as Oregon College of Education and Western Oregon State College (now Western Oregon University).
McArthur had the right DNA to coach a small college powerhouse, he was Little All-America himself playing at UC Santa Barbara, graduating in 1940. After serving in the Army Air Corps during WWII, Bill played one season in Chicago in the All-American Football Conference.
That’s when he landed in Oregon, teaching at Gold Hill High School. One year later, he landed a job as football head coach and instructor at OCE.
In 35 years of coaching in Monmouth, he accumulated a record of 180-124-6, one of the best career marks for any small college coach in the nation. He also coached track, swimming and golf.
It didn’t take long to make his mark. The 1949 Wolves were a perfect 9-0 with five shutouts, the only undefeated team in the Pacific Northwest.
In 1950, OCE joined the Oregon Collegiate Conference and won its first five of ten championships. In 1970, the stakes were raised with membership in the broader and more competitive Evergreen Conference. Between 1975-80, McArthur’s teams won six consecutive league titles, two Oregon Bowl titles and were nationally ranked four different seasons.
Many future coaches took lessons from Coach McArthur who generously allowed his quarterbacks to call their own plays. Mouse Davis, Erv Garrison, Barry Adams, Mark Neffendorf and Craig Reucker all got their start as players or assistant coaches under Bill.
Bill McArthur retired in 1983 just after the school changed it’s name to Western Oregon State College, then found himself in the high school ranks at Regis in Stayton. McArthur’s Rams were 30-4 over three seasons including a perfect 13-0 championship run in 1987.
Coach McArthur returned to Western for one more season in 1991 before retiring… for good. The Wolves football stadium is named in his honor. Bill is a member of the Western Oregon and NAIA halls of fame.