Evening star., 1951-01-31
Selection of Jess Hill as Trojan Coach
Converts Headache Into Harmony
BY the Associated Press

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 31.-Int
Nationwide search for a man tt
coach football at the Uni ersity ot
Southern California ended exactly
where 1t started-on the campu:
at use.
The winner: Jesse T. Hill, heac
track coach at use and one of the
greatest all-round athletes in the
schools history.
DR.. Fred D. Fagg, jr.. use presi-
dent. made the formal announce
ment late yesterday and soor
afterWard a mass peace pipe
smoking party was held in DR.
Fagg's Office with representative.
of the Faculty Athletic Committee
and powerful alumni groups puff
ing away in harmony.
Until yesterday some of the
groups were hardly in accord ir
the move to select a new football
coach. All. it seemed, had diff.
ferent ideas about who should gel
the job vacated six weeks ago
under alumni pressure, by JEFF
Cravath.
DR.. Fagg might have prefaceo
the Hill announcement with the
final, binding statement that
among those who would not get
the position were Paul Brown
Don Faurot, Fritz Crisler, BuG
Wilkinson, Charlie Caldwell, Ber-
ME Bierman, Ray Eliot. Henry
F'rnka and some IS others, most
OF whom either didn't consider
or weren't considered anyhow.
Hill, fortyish, youthfully gray
good looking and easy in man
ner, was engaged for an "indefi-
nitsSperiod." Presumably it is for
one year at time, as has been
the custom at use in past years
prior to Cravath's three-year con-
tract, on which he collected for
the two years yet to go when he
stepped out.
Hills salary was not disclosed
Guesses ranged around $4,000, to
include his job as head track
coach.
Hill will continue with the
Information style of play, but
may vary it with some single wing
unbalanced line maneuvers which
he learned as a fullback for the
late Howard Jones at use in
1928-9.
That he likes the old Jones
theory of hard-socking football is
apparent. Hill recalled that once
he heard the Trojan headman tell
a big lineman that if football
wasn't in his heart he'd never
get anywhere in either football
or life.
Hill has coached football for
16 years-at Riverside and Long
Beach Junior Colleges, Corona
High School, in his former home
town near here; as an assistant
at st. Mary's and Del Monte Pre-
flight during the war, when he
was in the Navy, then as fresh
man coach at use in 1916.
He said he wanted the job be-
cause, among other reasons. it
offered a challenge. Hill likes
He is a keen competi-
tor. Two years ago he accepted
a challenge to succeed the great
Dean Cromwell as track coach at
use. The rookie coach won the
championship in l949 and
repeated in 1850.
He accepted a challenge to play
professional baseball in 1880. He
signed with the old HOLLYWOOD
club in the Coast League and the
f1rst time he came to bat he hit
a home run. Followed 10 years
in major and what was then
Double-A leagues-St. Paul, New
ark, one year with the Yankees,
more with Washington and the
Athletics. and back to the coast
with Oakland. His 1O-year batting
average was .3O6.
He was christened Jesse Terrill
Hill, but prefers plain Jess.
Athletic Director Willis O, Hun
ter recommended Hill for the grid
Joo. Harrassed Mr.. Hunter today
oHeS condolences to the men who
must still select coaches at STAN
ford and Ohio State. It isn't easy
10 md man to fill a job and
please all fantioaac l,a sa;I