Billy Laval
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| Sport(s) | Football, basketball, baseball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
January 15, 1885 Columbia, South Carolina |
| Died | January 20, 1957 (aged 72) Columbia, South Carolina |
| Playing career | |
| Baseball | |
| 1904–1905 | Furman |
| 1907 | Greenville Mountaineers |
| 1908–1909 | Greenville Spinners |
| 1909–1910 | Winston-Salem Twins |
| 1911–1912 | Spartanburg Spartans |
| 1912 | Anderson Electricians |
| 1913 | Richmond Colts |
| 1914 | Petersburg Goobers |
| 1915 | Jacksonville Tarpons |
| 1916 | Greensboro Patriots |
| 1919 | Greenville Spinners |
| Position(s) | Pitcher |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1914 | Furman (B squad) |
| 1915–1927 | Furman |
| 1928–1934 | South Carolina |
| 1936–1937 | Emory & Henry |
| 1938–1949 | Newberry |
| Basketball | |
| 1919–1927 | Furman |
| 1932–1933 | South Carolina |
| 1936–1937 | Emory & Henry |
| 1938–1950 | Newberry |
| Baseball | |
| 1903 | Erskine |
| 1904 | Sewanee |
| 1905 | Erskine |
| 1908 | Furman |
| 1912–1927 | Furman |
| 1920 | Greenville Spinners (manager) |
| 1928–1934 | South Carolina |
| 1934 | Asheville Tourists (manager) |
| 1936–1937 | Emory & Henry |
| 1938–1950 | Newberry |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1928–1934 | South Carolina |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 172–139–17 (football) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| Football 3 SIAA (1922, 1923, 1927) Basketball 1 SoCon Tournament (1933) |
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William L. "Billy" Laval (January 15, 1885 – January 20, 1957) was an American minor league baseball player, baseball manager, and college baseball, football, and basketball coach. He held head coaching positions at the University of South Carolina, Furman University, Emory and Henry College, and Newberry College. He is the only South Carolina football coach to have produced seven consecutive winning seasons. In 2009, The State called him "the greatest collegiate coach" in the history of South Carolina.
Laval was born on January 15, 1885, in Columbia, South Carolina. At the age of 18, he coached baseball at Erskine College. The following year, he held the same position at Sewanee before returning to Erskine. From 1904 to 1905, he played baseball as a pitcher for Furman University. According to The State, there is no record of his enrollment at the school, however, which presumably made him a . During the 1905 season, he proposed to his girlfriend Elizabeth, who responded "If you beat Clemson today, I will marry you." Laval pitched Furman to a win, 2–1, and the two were married soon after. He would later joke in speeches, "She has hated Clemson ever since."
In his early years, Laval played minor league baseball for a wide number of teams throughout the South in the South Carolina League, Carolina Association, Virginia League, South Atlantic League, and North Carolina State League. These teams included: the Greenville Mountaineers (1907), Greenville Spinners (1908–1909 and 1919), Winston-Salem Twins (1909–1910), Spartanburg Spartans (1911–1912), Anderson Electricians (1912), Richmond Colts (1913), Petersburg Goobers (1914), Jacksonville Tarpons (1915), and the Greensboro Patriots (1916). His playing career was mediocre, with a .253 batting average and 42–37 record as a pitcher.
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