The Washington herald., 1918-11-25
NAVY COACHING
GREAT SUCCESS
Olcott and Dobie Follow
Many Traditional Princi-
pies in Building Teams.

Regardless of the outcome of their
future games, the success OF the
Navy eleven and the team developed
at the Great Lakes Naval Training
Station bespeaks a world OF praise
for what Is known as the navy sys-
tenn of coaching.
1t is interesting. in view OF the
phenomenal accomplishments of the
'gobs" from the Great Lakes-es-
pecially their crushing triumph over
Rutgers in one of the most extra
ordinary battles of the autumn
to note that the team from the
shores of Lake Michigan has been
coached by ''Bo" Olcott and Lieut.
Clarence McReavy. both of whom
have instructed navy eleyens in the
past
Navy. on the other hand. has been
coached this autumn by Gil Dobie,
who in other years has been identi-
fed with Western collegiate elevens.
But while Dobie has introduced
some new styles at Annapolis he has
retained many of the old formations
that have been navy standbys for
many years.
'Bo" Olcott, star at Yale in his
college days, was for a number of
years a member of the coaching stIff
at Annapolis. and he has introduced
a number of navy formations at
Great Lakes. Lieut.. McReavy will
be remembered as the star half back
of the Navy eleven of 1913 and 1914,
and. he, too, has taught the Western
gObs many of the old navy tricks
that he himself used so successfully
while fighting for the Blue and Gold
on the banks of the historic Severn.
According to critics who have seen
the Great Lakes team in action on
several occasions this autumn, the
eleven employs many of the Annapolis
formations on attack, and it uses the
navy methods of executing the for
ward pass. which has been one OF it's
main factors this autumn.
Navy men the country over are jubi-
liant over the success OF the two big
navy teams. The midshipmen have
shown wonderful form this season.
They may have upsets in their future
contests, but in the main they have
performed splendidly this autumn, and
Will rank in the annals of navy sports
as one of the greatest of all Annapo-
lis teams.
Gil Dobie certainly has worked WON
ders in his development of what at the
start of the season was not a very
impressive aggregation of players But
Dobie worked diligently from the out
set and moulded together an eleven
that worked with smooth precision.
that developed a corkinG attack and
n sound defensive system. Against a
majority OF its opponents this autumn
Navy disclosed a system of attack
and defence that was the envy of col
legiate coaches the country over.
BY the same token the COB contin-
gent from the Great Lakes also was
developed by stages. At the start of
the season the sailors showed meager
promise. But by the time for the Rut-
gers game rolled around the COB eleven
had attained the zenith of its form.
and all who saw its rout of the men
of Foster Sanford in their memorable
oattle over at Ebbets Field, in Brook
lyn' will recall the wonderful preci-
sion with which it battered the scarlet
forward line and itself withstood the
charges of Sanford's men in the early
periods of the struggle.
1t is altogether likely that Dobie will
be retained as the Navy coach for
next year. when the annual Army
Navy fixture is sure to be resumed.
Dobie. Furthermore, probably will Sc
lect 1lcott and McReavy to aid him
because of their signal success in de-
veloping the team from Great Lakes,
And with such a coaching staff Navy
indeed would start its campaign of 1919
auspiciously