The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-07-17
PORTLAND WRITER
LAUDS MATTHEWS
GREGORY TELLS RECORD AND
STRONG POINTS OF IDAHO'S
NEW ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

NEW
Idaho athletic prospects are bright
eninging since announcement of the
selection Of R. L. Matthews, former
coach at the University of Washing
ton and at Willamette university, to
take the position of athletic director
and head football coach left vacant
by the resignation of Coach Thomas
Kelley
More than 40 applicants and per-
sons eligible for the position were
considered in making the choice, ac-
cording to DR.. A. H. Upham, presi-
dent of the university.
Idaho could not have selected
better man to take charge of athlet-
les there, and particularly football"
says L. H. Gregory, Portland sports
writer. Matthews made remark
able coaching record during the six
years he was at Willamette. That
college never had material ranking
with that of the larger conference
universities, yet only once in the six
years was it's football team decisive
ly beaten in a game with one of the
big elevens.
WINS NlCu SMdll SQudU
"AIso. it won the non-conference
football championship every year OF
the six. This record was achieved
with with material so scanty that
sometimes not more than IL to Is men
all told were available for the elev-
en-.
"In basketball under his coaching
Willamette held it's own with any of
the colleges and several times was
among the runnerS-up for the champ
ionship. His baseball teams also were
good.
Matthews work attracted the at
tention of his alma mater, the Uni
versity of Washington, and last year
he was signed as assistant football
coach under Bagshaw and given
charge of freshman athletics. His
freshman football team went through
the season without a defeat. He al
most duplicated that showing as
freshman basketball coach, his five
losing only one game and that by =
low score.
Six Successive Championships
"The 1912 season found Matthews
at Kenyon college, Gambler, Ohio. He
was athletic director and coached all
sports. Matthews remained at Ken
Won through the varsity years of 1912,
1918 and 1914 In 1915 he succeeded
to the position of athletic director at
Willamette university, Salem, Ore, |
and during his six years at William
ette did not lose a non-conference
game in football and won six success
sive non-conference championships in
each of the major branches OF sport
Matthews accepted the offer to act |
as freshman coach Of football and
varsity baseball coach at the Uniyers-
fty of Washington in 1921 and he |
turned out a championship freshman
lineup. He repeated in freshman Das-
ketball and won the Pacific coast
championship with his varsity base
ball team during the spring season.
Keen Student Of Sports
'sThe new Idaho coach is gener-
ally regarded in the Pacific coast
as an exceptional develop
er of material and a keen student of
all branches Of sport"
When Darwin Meisnest, graduate
manager at the University of Wash
ington, announced acceptance of
Matthews resigntion there he said:
"We felt that Matthews was too
big a man to be handling freshman
teams, and when the Idaho offer came
we did not want to stand in the way
of his acceptance
Takes Baseball Championship
Besides that, Matthews coached
the varsity baseball team at Washing
ton this spring and his nine won the
northwest conference championship.
His success as an athletic coach has
been almost equally pronounced in
football, basketball and baseball.
Matthews attended the University
Of Washington in his freshman year
at college and played on the football
team. Then he went to Notre Dame,
where for three successive years,
1908, 1909 and 1910, he not only made
the Notre Dame varsity but was nam
ed on the All-Western eleven besides.
in 1908 and 1909 he was selected All
Western end. The next season he was !
switched to halfback and in that new
position was included again on the !
Western team, this time as half. +
mot many players can point to a {
H. - |