East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1921-12-17
WHO CONTRIBUTES MORE
TO SUCCESS Of TEAM.
COACHES OR PLAYERS?.
Small Colleges Say Coach is
Important Part of Success,
But Good Coaches May Fail
if Student Body Stacks.
BY HENRY L.

BY HENRY l. FARRELL
Omitted Press stafl correspondence
NEW YORK. Dec. 17.-Any number
of little hamlet colleges with ambitions
toward the peaks Of football greatness
shout: .
Give us a Charley Moran, a Hugo
Eezdek or a Gil Dobie and well do a
Centre!"
Which brings up the old, old ques-
ton:
How much has a coach to do with
the development of a team"
The old timers say-"Not much. It's
all up to the squad
The disciples of the modern game
differ in the belief that the coach
makes the material-or at least makes
it produce.
on bare results of the past season.
1t is possible to point out several ex-
amples that seem TO show it is not all
TO have a great coach.
From an enrolment of over seven
thousand, John Heisman, who came
up from Georgia Tech regarded as one
of the greatest coaches in the game
has failed to produce any kind of a
team at Pennsylvania. His eleven this
year was Il terrible disappointment. He
intimatcS there is IA lack of interest
among the undergraduates.
Glenn Warner made a wonderful
name producing winners among the
Carlisle Indians and his record has
been consistently good at Pittsburgh.
Early in the past season, officials
working in the Pitt games said he
had II of the greatest teams of the
year yet it floundered Around and fin
ished down the list.
Buck" O'Neil is rated as one of
the best mentors in the game yet from
among the thousands Of students at
Columbia he has failed to produce
anything but Il joke team, He blames
it on the lack of college spirit.
Major Charley DAILY, II of tho
greatest players of past years and one
of the smartest coaches in the game
has had no success at West Point.
With the pick of the land at his COM
iihiHu anu Will lIipSt tNtIN tillllS Gull
.duetipe to the development. Of a great
team, his Army elevens have lost three
years in succession to the Navy.
on the other hand there were as
many examples of what a high class
coach a do in making n team. /
Cornell hadn't done much in tho
way Of football until this year when
Gel Dohic turned out a powerful
that ranked within the first
three in the east, Dobie believes in
Last year he worked for the
Cornell had only a fair team
n 1920, but this year it bloomed out
rs a wonderful combination. Dobie
laid the foundation for the great
cams that are now being turned out
It the Naval Acamedy.
Washington and jefferson had been
IN %in-and-out until this year. When
Earl, Greasy" Ncale, well known Ma
ional League baseball star, took
Of the squad last fall he said
lie believed he had the markings Of a
rood team. Skeptics took it for youth
nj optimism but they have changed
heir minds as he turned out II of
he best teams in the east.
Penn State had what was rated as
he best team In the east this year and
me of the best in the country. 1t was
great team in 1920, but when june
cut down the great Charley
Way, Hinkcy Hams, Brown, Beck,
ichuster, Griffith, Hess and Rauch,
he ~dopestcrs remarked-"Hugo Bez.
lok will have a hard time next year.
.Ie developed n bunch of new stars
md turned out his great team, among
hem being the All-American back,
Hem killinger, an out-and-out pro-
luct Of Bezdek's as he had never play
ID football until he came to Penn
Knute Rockne has developed the
labit Of turning out a winning team
very fall at Notrc Dame. His squad
S the greatest aggregation Of all
talent ever seen on a sridiron.
When the wonderful George Gipp died
asst winter, it was thought the Hoos-
ers would have a lean year this year,
,ut Rockne uncovered three OF four
that stepped into Gipp's shoes.
The midshipmen at Annapolis are
through the greatest period Of
success in the history Of the
Icademy. Bob Folwell is being given
lue credit. II is true that Gil Dobi"
night have laid the foundation, but
1olwell is building expertly. He had
me of the incest working teams in the
'ast this year and with the material az
land and the freedom granted to him
n his work, he should have even
.reater success.
II seems after all that it is a fifty
fifty question with no set rule apply
ng in individual cases. Tad Jones IL
q success Of his new system at
iale. and Bob Fisher is falling down
the Houshton system at Harvard.
}ill Roper is consistently good at
'r'nccton. but the greatest coach In
he game can't beat an injury jinx tha'
woops down now and then.
Material is very necessary for u c
The finest clay from the earth
80. Y.uf.. l., a.4,TYs.,