Evening star., 1932-01-16
.COACH'S F|RMNESS
| HELPS BEARS RISE
Navy Bill Demands Clear
Sailing, 0usting Alumni,
Fraternities.
BY LAWRENCE PERRY,

n IEW YORK, January 10
M When Navy Bill Ingram
i ' walked up to a group of
blown-in-t the bottle alumni
enthusiasts at Berkeley last Fall,
telling them that when he said
secret practice he meant secret
practice, and that they would have
to leave the field, his fate hung In
the balance. For those men we're
all influential old grads and their
right to go anywhere and do any,
thing had never before been ques-
toned. The peace of mind of a
coach, his fate, indeed, depended
upon the good favor of these men.
But Ingram knew what he was doing.
He knew that internal dissensions and
outside interferences had wrecked foot
ball at the University of California and
he fully recognized that his success at
Berkeley depended as much upon the
adjustment of conditions unrelated to
actual coaching as upon his ability to
tCoSAi AVOb DFaL. oO ZIG ulu llOb ItSlbdlE
one minute in assigning any one and
everything to their proper places.
Gained Respect of All.
In the case of the elected old grads,
Ingram gave them plain Navy talk.
He laid his cards on the table. He said
he had been brought to Berkeley to put
the Bears back on the map and that
the methods he was installing were en-
titled to the respect and the support
OF every loyal Californian.
So if in leaving the field they would
realize that he was working for the
larger good and that his only motive
was to have his players all to himself,
they would understand his position and
have no hard feelings. So in the end,
the old grads, being fair-minded men,
shook hands with him and, like Long
fellows Arabs, silently stole away.
Before that Bill had been obliged to
lay alongside the fraternity situation,
pass grapplings and board with cut
lass in his teeth. Despite denials of
tics had played the deuce with Cali
fornia foot ball: the exact extent of
the harm has never been permitted to
come out. But 1t was plenty. Ingrani's
success with this problem is best re-
vealed In the fact that fraternity In
fuence figured not at all in the Bear
squad this year.
He Travelled throughout the State last
Winter on a speaking grind that lasted
three months. He got the alumni 80
solidly interested that the report Is
offered by group of graduates for the
purpose of securing players.
Ingram was not in the business of
buying material. He did not have to,
anyway, for his dynamic campaign re-
suited in the best freshman eleven the
Blue and Gold has had in half dozen
years, one which went undefeated
through the past season and will send
plenty of material TO the 1882 varsity.
Develops Fine Players.
His work in developing players was
extraordinary. Ralston Gill, for ex-
ample, is one Of his products. The de-
velopment of the team was carried ON
with the complication of a playing
field hard as concrete. The practices
gridiron had been torn up for the build
ing of the new I. C. A. A. A. A. stadium
and so workouts were held In the regu-
lar foot ball amphitheater. Result was
the complete wearing away of the turf
and on the hard dirt injuries were
numerous.
Ae oilc Lille or dIlotnef every NarAGy
player was on the injured list and out
of important games. But Ingram de-
veloped capable reserves and the re-
suits turned In by the Bears consti-
tuted the greatest surprise that had
ever marked West Coast foot ball. rs
In sum California is rising again and
the Bears say they are going to take
Southern California next Fall. Whether
this happens, foot ball at Berkeley In
a single season has been put on q
healthful and thoroughly competent
plane.
AS for Bill Ingram, no longer Is It
Navy Bill" on the West Coast. It Is
California Bill"