Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-24
GRADUATE COACH URGED
Attempt to Secure Adoption of System
at Nebraska.
MISSIONER FOR HEAD PLACE
with Three Assistants, Alumni As
serts, lie Could Improve Present
Plan of Professional
COaching.

LINCOLN, Neb., lee. 23.-(special)-An
attempt Is to be MADE to set the Nebraska
Athletic board to lnaugurate the graduate
coaching system Tor foot ball at the state
school next fall Alumni Of the university
are circulating petitions In Lincoln and
other towns that will be presented to the
athletic board agklng It 10 install the grad
uate coaches next fall.
The men who are backing the new
scheme will suggest to the Cornhusker
mentors that John westoyer be made head
} coach and tina his assistants be Ray
Elliott, James Harvey and Glen Mason
These men are all ex-Nebraska foot ball
players and are considered among the best
players the state school has turned out
westover, probably one Of the greatest
tackles In the west during his foot ball
career. secured his training under Booth,
the man that made Nebraska famous in
western foot bali. Glen Mason, a former
captain, drilled under Booth and Foster.
Ex-Captain Harvey played under Booth,
Foster and Cole. Ray Elliott trained I'M
der Fielding Yost, the famous Michigan
coach, when the 'Hurry-op" man was at
the head Of Nebraska foot bail. two years
before he went TO Ann Arbur.
TUT htNtAdA AbAAAAA hNA a
agitation among certain VI the alumni for
a graduate coach. Some Of the former
Nebraskans favored hiring a Cornhusker
alumni when Booth resigned, but the ath-
letic board did not want the graduate sys-
tenn then. When the Cornhuskers failed
to win lnstrfan the agitation for the change
was renewed, with the result that many
alumni have been enlisted in the move
ment for the new system.
ume for Graduates.
Many are advanced for the
graduate coaches by the Lincoln men who
are back of the movement to install West
over as head coach. In the first place,
It is held that the professional coaches
would be abolished from root ball and that
all the evils attendant upon the hired
outsiders" would be removed. All over
the country this year there Is a protest
against professional coaches, and the
alumni expect the graduate system viii
appeal to the members of the Nebraska
board who are opposed to the tactics
taught by many professional coaches.
Another advantage that would accrue
under the graduate coaches would be win
ter and spring practice for the candidates
for the varsity. AS II is now, with a
coach hired for only two months In the
fall, the foot ball men get no preliminary
training In the rudiments of the game dur
ing the spring, as the candidates at many
other schools do where a coach is kept the
yea: round, or where there are graduate
coaches.
As o consequence, the Nebraska coach
has to give a part Of his time each fall to
teaching his men the rHdimentary features
of foot ball, when he should be devoting
all his energy to teaching the players new
plays and in building up q defense.
winter Training an object.
Under the graduate system, the alumni
Of the university declare, the players would
be taught plays and first principles of thu
game during the winter months in thu
gymnasium. In the spring, for three o
four weeks, they would be given practic'
in kicking and handling the ball. Wit
this winter and spring practice the mel
would be in shape to get into the hare
work Of foot ball as soon as the training
season opened in September. This is rh'
plan that is pursued at Minnesota anC
other western universities, and it puts th'
teams into shape for early season games
1t is argued thai Nebraska is always unde
a handicap in playing Minnesota early II