William "Bill" Eccles was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. His family later moved to Gastonia, North Carolina, when he was in elementary school. At Ashley High School (Ashbrook), he participated in football, basketball, and track, as the school did not yet have a wrestling team. After graduating from Ashley in 1966, Eccles attended North Carolina State University, where he earned a degree in Mathematics Education in 1970.

In 1972, Eccles returned to Ashbrook High School as a math teacher and head wrestling coach. At that time, wrestling in Gaston County was only five years old, and Coach Eccles played a pivotal role in its growth. He initiated the county's junior high wrestling conference in 1977 and facilitated exchange programs with teams from Germany, New Zealand, and Sweden. Additionally, Eccles started the Gastonia Grapplers Wrestling Club and founded the Gaston County Wrestling Tournament in 1975. He promoted wrestling by hosting several college dual matches, which brought collegiate teams to the Gaston County area.

Under his guidance, the Green Wave Wrestlers were highly successful, winning their Conference 12 times, three Individual NCHSAA Sectional Tournaments, and two NCHSAA Individual Regional Tournaments. Coach Eccles received the Conference Wrestling Coach of the Year award 12 times and amassed a dual meet record of 287-125. In 1996, he stepped down as the head wrestling coach but continued serving the program as an assistant coach. For over ten years, he assisted his son Jake, who was the head wrestling coach at Ashbrook.

Bill Eccles' accomplishments extended beyond wrestling. In 1988, he became the head coach of Ashbrook's football team, leading them to six league titles over 13 seasons and achieving a school-record 88 victories. In 1998, his team finished 13-1 and reached the NCHSAA 4A Western Semifinals. After the 2000 season, he stepped down as the head football coach, and the school honored him by naming the field after him the following year. He continued to contribute to football as the Offensive Coordinator for Ashbrook’s 2002 State Championship team.

Presently, he remains active as an assistant football and wrestling coach at Ashbrook. In his career, he’s coached various sports including Tennis, Football, Wrestling, Track, Golf, Basketball, and Softball. Eccles received recognition with the NCHSAA "Eight Who Make a Difference Award” in 2006. He was also inducted into the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Gaston County Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.