Evening star., 1944-03-19

Guaranteed Lifetime Position at U. ofRochester,
Joins Club He Served Three Seasons Puyess
'Spotter' From Stands
Credited With Many
Tribe Touchdowns
BY ROD THOMAS.

resigned lifetime guaranteed, lu-
crative job as football coach at the
University of Rochester, yesterday
became head coach of the Wash
ington Redskins whom he served
with unadvertised distinction for
two seasons and part of another
without pay.
In the presence of nearly two
score sports and other notables,
radio and news men at a luncheon
yesterday at the Statler, George P.
Marshall, Redskin president, an
nounced De Groot had signed
|five-year contract, salary undis-
closed, as successor to Arthur j.
Bergman, who resigned as head
coach but remains in scouting
and advisory capacity.
Marshall verified reports that
Clark Shaughnessy, football mentor
at the University of Pittsburgh and
for the last several years an adviser
to the Chicago Bears coaching staff,
had been engaged, at least verbally,
In the latter capacity by the Red
skins. Shaughnessy is due here to-
day for a conference with the Red
skin chief.
Cementing Of the Shaughnessy
deal, however, may not mean the
Washington club will go about
for the T. formation first made
famous by Shaughnessy at Stanford
University, at which De Groot, in
cidentally, was graduated in 1922
He is A.
Style Depends on Material.
"The style of football we play"
said he in an luncheon chat,
will depend upon our material.
This has held true with all the
teams I've coached"
With De Groot, who owns
brilliant 20-year coaching record,
abetted by Shaughnessy, Bergman
and Turk Edwards, line specialist,
not to speak of Wilbur (Doc) Bohm,
one of the country's foremost train
ers, the Redskins figure to possess
the outstanding brain trust in pro-
fessional football.
De Groot began his coaching
career under Glenn Pop) Warner
and Andy Kerr at Stanford in 1928,
the year after he captained the
Indians eleven and played center
with All-America skill. His first
head-coaching assignment was at
Santa Barbara College; followed by
a 4-year stretch at Menlo Junior
College. At both California institu-
tions he coached football, basket
ball, baseball track, swimming, golf
land tennis, winning his share OF
championships in all. His 1880
Menlo football and basket ball
teams, culled from a student body
of only $50 boys, won State junior
Icollege titles while competing
lagainst schools with enrollments of
more than 5000.
His 1880 Menlo eleven established
|several State and national stand
ards when it scored 396 points
during the season. 1t made Ripley's
'Believe 1t or Not" feature when it
|scored six touchdowns in seven
Iconsecutive plays in game against
a 4-year cOiiege team.
Nemesis of Old Man StaEg.
In 1882, De Groot moved to San
Jose State and in his first season
there tied for the Far Western Con-
ference title with the same person.
incl which the year before lost every
game but one. In his eight years
at San Jose his elevens won two
Far Western titles, tied for another,
then won two titles in the Califor-
MIA State College Conference.
While at San Jose, De Groot was
rank poison to old Amos Alonze
Stagg, coach of College of the
Pacific, who was voted the Nations
Coach OF the Year" in 1943. Against
Pacific, San Jose's oldest rival, De
Groot's teams won six games ano
the other was q scoreless deadlock
Four of his San Jose elevens played
in the annual Mid-Pacific Shrine
game at Honolulu.
His 1937-38-39 teams led the Ma
ton in scoring with 297, 322 and 32A
points. respectively, during which
time they won 36, lost 3 and tied
Il game. The 1889 eleven, with
Pop Warner, De Groot's old friend
and mentor, as an advisory coach
won l3 games Tor an undefeateo
season.
'Dud" went to Rochester in Feb
ruary of 1910 under a lifetime con-
: tract, severable only by mutual con-
sent. Rochester had won only one
game in three years, but during his
first season the YelloWjackets, with
the same material which haG
dropped every game the preceding
lyear won four and lost three. Ir
all his coaching career, this was the
closest De Groot ever has come te
, turning out losing eleven.
Tough to Score Against.
His four-year Rochester record
shows % victories and losses
During the last three seasons hi.
, lSee DE GROOT, Page AID