Carleton Low Wiggin was an American baseball, football and ice hockey player and coach. He led all three programs at his alma mater Bates College during the 1920s.
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 29, 1897 Dover, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Died | May 15, 1970 (aged 72) Portland, Maine, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Bates College |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Baseball | |
| 1923–1929 | Bates |
| 1930–1934 | Wesleyan |
| Football | |
| 1922–1928 | Bates |
| Ice Hockey | |
| 1922–1929 | Bates |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 70–100 (.412) [baseball] 14–36–3 (.292) [football] 37–33–4 (.527) [hockey] |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Records | |
| Military career | |
| Buried | Evergreen Cemetery |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1918 |
| Rank | .svg){kind=small} Private |
Career
editWhile born in New Hampshire, Wiggin grew up in Maine and graduated from Sanford High School in 1915. He began attending Bates College in the fall of 1916 in the class of 1920. He was initially a member of both the varsity baseball and football teams though only played in a reserve capacity as a freshman. During his second year, Wiggin had his studies interrupted when the United States entered World War I. He joined the Student Army Training Corps along with nearly 170 other men and served until the armistice was signed on November 11.[1] After returning to his studies, Wiggin resumed his place on his previous teams while also becoming the goaltender for the school's inaugural ice hockey squad and joining the varsity track team in 1920. He was elected captain of the baseball team as a junior and led the program for two seasons. "Wig" helped the baseball team win the state championship in 1920 and 1921. He also won the 100-yard dash at the Maine Intercollegiates meet in 11 seconds flat.
After graduating, Wiggin took a job as a submaster and coach at Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire. After a year there, he returned to his alma mater as an assistant physical director and coach of both the baseball and ice hockey programs. When Raymond A. Watkins failed to return as the football coach in 1922, Wiggin added those responsibilities as well, sharing the duties with physical director Oliver Cutts. Wiggin remained at the helm of all programs until 1929 (he was the sole head coach for football beginning in 1925). After the football team posted a winless record in 1928, the college announced that they would be releasing Wiggin from his responsibilities. A protest was held at his dismissal and over four hundred students marched to convey their displeasure.[2] While their cries and petitions did help allow Wiggin to finish out the season for both the ice hockey and baseball teams, the school stood by its decision. On New Year's Day, Dave Morey was hired as the head coach for all three programs and would begin his tenure the following fall. Knowing his time in Lewiston was coming to a close, Wiggin accepted the head coaching job for the baseball team at Wesleyan University where he would also be an assistant on the football team.[3]
Wiggin helmed the Cardinals baseball team for 5 years but, after posting a losing record in each season, he was let go in 1934.[4]
Wiggin died in 1970 at the age of 72.
Head coaching record
editBaseball
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Independent (1923–1923) | |||||||||
| 1923 | Bates | 4–7–0 | |||||||
| Bates Bobcats Independent (1924–1929) | |||||||||
| 1924 | Bates | 7–10–0 | |||||||
| 1925 | Bates | 9–7–0 | |||||||
| 1926 | Bates | 4–11–0 | |||||||
| 1927 | Bates | 6–7–0 | |||||||
| 1928 | Bates | 8–5–0 | |||||||
| 1929 | Bates | 11–6–0 | |||||||
| Bates: | 49–53 | ||||||||
| Wesleyan Cardinals Independent (1930–1934) | |||||||||
| 1930 | Wesleyan | 8–10–0 | |||||||
| 1931 | Wesleyan | 6–7–0 | |||||||
| 1932 | Wesleyan | 4–10–0 | |||||||
| 1933 | Wesleyan | 0–11–0 | |||||||
| 1934 | Wesleyan | 3–9–0 | |||||||
| Wesleyan: | 21–47 | ||||||||
| Total: | 70–100 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
Football
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | Coaches# | AP° | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Independent (1922–1923) | |||||||||
| 1922 | Bates | 2–6–1 | |||||||
| 1923 | Bates | 3–5–0 | |||||||
| Bates Bobcats Independent (1924–1928) | |||||||||
| 1924 | Bates | 3–5–0 | |||||||
| 1925 | Bates | 3–4–0 | |||||||
| 1926 | Bates | 2–5–0 | |||||||
| 1927 | Bates | 1–4–2 | |||||||
| 1928 | Bates | 0–7–0 | |||||||
| Bates: | 14–36–3 | ||||||||
| Total: | 14–36–3 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Ice hockey
edit| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bates Independent (1922–1924) | |||||||||
| 1922–23 | Bates | 8–4–0 | State Champion | ||||||
| 1923–24 | Bates | 9–2–0 | State Champion | ||||||
| Bates Bobcats Independent (1924–1929) | |||||||||
| 1924–25 | Bates | 1–7–0 | |||||||
| 1925–26 | Bates | 3–6–1 | |||||||
| 1926–27 | Bates | 5–3–1 | State Champion | ||||||
| 1927–28 | Bates | 6–5–1 | |||||||
| 1928–29 | Bates | 5–6–1 | |||||||
| Bates: | 37–33–4 | ||||||||
| Total: | 37–33–4 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
References
edit- ^ "Mirror, 1919". Bates College. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "STUDENT BODY DECLARES SELF UNANIMOUSLY PRO-WIGGIN". Bates Student. December 14, 1928. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Wiggin is Head Coach at Wesleyan". Bates Student. January 11, 1929. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Baseball Year-By-Year Results". Wesleyan Cardinals. Retrieved June 15, 2023.