The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-06
FAMOUS PITT
 COACH QUITS
 AFTER 15 YEARS
Never Seriously Consid- cred Mississippi State
 Job';; Minnesota Ahead
BY JOHN B. DELANEY


 United Press Staff Correspondent
 Pittsburgh, March 6 = (U.P.) = Dr. John Bain (Jock) Sutherland, 49, geenrally rated the No. l foot ball coach, today asked the Univer- sity of Pittsburgh to accept imme- diately his resignation as head caoch.
 Dr. Sutherland's action was moi unexpected. He was known to resent recent developments in which foot- ball had been made, the particular target of a plan to de-emphasize sports at Pitt. It followed a series of incidents" in which football play CTS had rebelled against unfair" treatment. a
 The famous coach, who has sent four teams to the Rose Bowl in his IS years at, Pitt, was expected to confer today with Chancellor John G. Bowman. He planned to demand an immediate acceptance of his resignation which was submitted Saturday, but was not revealed un- til last night.
 4<VAh8 4NVsAOS
 His contract requires two years notice on the part of both sides be- fore it can be broken, but Suther- land wkants this provision waived.
 Dr. Bowman was expected to ac- cede to Sutherland's request, al- though theer probably will be a fornality of submitting the matter t<> f1a h<>o rJ nf fr,,ctaoc Tho hnorI in past, has nearly always followed the lead of the chancellor.
 Dr. Bowman said he thought thing had been strengthened out" at a meeting last Thursday and he evinced "very slight hope" that Sutherland could be persuaded, or would be asked, to change his mind.
 Dr. Sutherland said his plans for the future were indefinite. He said he never seriously considered an offer to become head coach at Mis- sissippi State College, as had been rumored last week. Friends said there was possibility he would re- tire from football altogether for one year. It was reported aiSo that he might become sports commenta- tor for newspapers, or radio.
 First intimation that all was not well between Sutherland, the Silent Scot" to football fans, and the uni- versity, came in earlyq 1887 when a long standing feud with w. Don Harrison, the then athletic director, came into the open because of Har- rison's treatment of Pitt players who went to the Rose Bowl that year.
 Sutherland reportedly accused Harrison of pinching pennies in al- loting spending money to the ath- letes. He was said to have told Har- rison, T made you, and I'll break you" He offered to resign, but in- stead, Harrsion quit on March 20, 1897.
 De-Emphasize
 The new director, James Hagan, authored the so-called "Hagan Plan" to de-emphasize sports. It was adopted by the university on July 21, 1887, and later, revised plan, known as the "code Bowman, was adopted February 8, 1888. One pro- vision reads: ". The matter of publicity shall be subject to con- stant supervision and study in an effort to lessen undue emphasis up- on athletics in general and football in particular"
 Last fall sophomore athletes threatened to strike. This was set- tied by Dr. Sutherland but trouble again broke out in December when freshmen football players rebelled against attempts by the university to collect tuition. They claimed they had been told the work as pre- scribed for them by the code would pay these fees and part of their living expenses as well. Officials agreed to free tuition for them.
 These developments, and the fact that the University was scheduling games with major opponents with out providing means of attracting good material to Pitt, were believed to have prompted Dr. Sutherland's s decision to resign.
 q will-never sit on bench and send out a team that know has no chance to win. can lose as well as the next coach, but it's unfair to the boys, and Twon't stand for it." he was quoted as remarking a year ago.
 Pitts schedule for next fall calls for an opening game with the Uni- versity of Washington, at Seattle, and three-game series with Min nesota beginning in 1941. also is planned.
 I During his regime at Pitt, his teams have won III games. lost % and tied 12, for an average of .847.