William Wilfred Cobey (March 12, 1908 – April 20, 1998) was an American university administrator. He served as the athletic director at the University of Maryland from 1956 to 1969.
A native of Quincy, Florida, Cobey attended the University of Maryland where he played on the freshman lacrosse team. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order. Cobey graduated with an A.B. from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1930.Reveille, p. 42, University of Maryland, 1930. The University of Maryland appointed Cobey, former graduate manager, as athletic director in 1956, replacing Jim Tatum.Maryland Picks Mont Grid Coach, The Milwaukee Sentinel, January 18, 1956. In 1965, he fired Tom Nugent as football coach upon the conclusion of his five-year contract with a disappointing 4–6 season.Maryland Fire Football Coach, The Pittsburgh Press, December 10, 1965. He presided over the hiring of baseball coach Elton "Jack" Jackson in 1960,, The Sun, August 7, 1960. and football coaches Lou Saban in 1966,, The Sun, January 4, 1966. and Bob Ward in 1967.Bob Ward Reportedly New Maryland Coach, Sarasota Herald-Tribune, December 30, 1967. He retired as athletic director on June 30, 1968., The Hartford Courant, November 5, 1968. Cobey was succeeded by Maryland track coach Jim Kehoe., The Sun, February 11, 1968.
Cobey died on April 20, 1998, at his home in University Park, Maryland, at the age of 90.AL suspends Johnson for throwing at Lofton, The Washington Times, April 22, 1998. He was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.All-Time Inductees, University of Maryland, retrieved October 12, 2011. His son, William W. Cobey, Jr., served as athletic director at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and a North Carolina Representative in the United States Congress from 1985 to 1987.Cobey denies wish for Maryland post, Star-News, August 8, 1980.COBEY, William Wilfred, Jr., (1939 - ), Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, retrieved October 10, 2011. Cobey's wife, Mary Gray Munroe Cobey (1912-2005), was a notable alumna of Wesleyan University, as well as a longtime correspondent and friend of Soong Ching-ling.
References
External links Cobey Family collection at the University of Maryland Libraries