Evening star., 1946-02-08
Thinks Pro Ace Would
Make Great Mentor;
Heagy Will Aid
BY LEWIS F. ATCHIsoN.

Don't look now, but that tall,
skinny guy coaching Maryland's
backfield next autumn may be
Sammy Baugh. At least Clark
Shaughnessy isn't going to lock
and bar the gates against Sam If
he wants to come out to College
Park and give the players a few
pointers about passing, punting and
packing the leather.
He'd make a wonderful coach,
simply wonderful" Shaughnessy
said last night, And he may help
out from time to time on a volun-
tary basis. I think he can show
the boys few things about back
field play because he knows what
it's all about and he's got a keen
mind for strategy"
Officially, Baugh will be as distant
from Maryland's staff as the Ma
hatma Of Messabohemia, but there's
nothing to prevent him from spend
ing some afternoons with the squad.
II Sam intends to coach after his
playing days with the Redskins are
over the experience thus gained
would be invaluable, while his pres
ence on the field-on the other hand,
wouldn't hurt the Terps' morale.
Heagy to Be Coaching Aide.
Shaughnessy's official staff of as
sistants is as hazy as your memory
of that last stag dinner, but AL
Heagy will be part of it. The quiet,
efficient and likable Old Line alum
nus has been on every Maryland
coaching staff since his graduation
some Is years ago and the thing has
gotten to be a tradition. Aside from
AL, Shaughnessy has no assistants at
this writing.
The gray-thatched mentor would
like to have Herman Ball and some
thing may be worked out in this di-
rection, but Ball is through at Mary
land at the end of the current Sc
mester, having resigned to become
a full-time scout for the Redskins.
Shaughnessy divulged smatter-
ing of his plans for Marylands grid
future at a press conference yester-
day, his first since he resigned at
Pitt to return to the school he left
suddenly at the end of the 1912 sea-
son. Today he is scheduled to at
tend luncheon for members of the
football squad and probably will give
the boys an inkling of the 1916 setup.
Leaving Terps Was Mistake.
The famed T formation expert ad-
mitted he was as surprised as any
BODY when DR.. H. c. Byrd, Mary
land president, offered him the berth
vacated by Paul Bryant, in view of
his hasty departure three years ago.
But he still insisted he had a per-
feet right" to leave then to accept
what he thought was better oppor-
tunity at Pitt. It was mistake, he
confessed. and he hoped to make
Maryland his permanent address
Shaughnessy said he wanted to
make good for DR.. Byrd's sake, first
of all. in an effort to atone for his
sudden resignation.
The coach said he would have
remained at Pitt If the Maryland
position had not been offered him
and that he had absolutely no other
college job in mind. He praised
Pitts faculty, its chancellor and its
Faculty Committee, characterizing
them as "a fine bunch of men" It's
sports setup was something else
again. His resignation took Pitt
faculty officials "off the spot" he
said, as they would have had to bear
the brunt Of criticism aimed at him
If he remained.
Conditions Now Better.
Shaughnessy said he returned to
Maryland under conditions vastly
more favorable than when he first
went there. Then he assumed re-
sponsibility for the entire athletic
program in the absence of Geary
Eppley, director of athletics, po-
sition Shaughnessy said he disliked
and had no appetite for. This time
he will be strictly a football coach
and will be able to devote his entire
time to the job.
AS for his professional connection
with the Redskins, Shaughnessy will
continue to help plan their strategy.
This matter, he said, was ironed out
in telephone conversation between
DR.. Byrd and George Preston Mar
shall, Redskin president, and it was
agreed that Shaughnessy-who has
q fhroouaor a rxraov,. ,..,,x - -r,,sS~ A. .