William Wiles Elder (July 31, 1885 â March 7, 1960) was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1907 and at Williams College in 1908, compiling a career coaching record of 7âÂÂ6âÂÂ2. Elder graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1904 and from Williams College in 1908. He died on March 7, 1960, in Gladstone, New Jersey.