Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-12-14

Won / Talk on
Shaw Successor
Veteran Couch Fired
After 9 Seasons Due
To Disappointment
BY the Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. IA
The disgruntled owners of the
San Francisco Forty Miners, who
yesterday fired Coach Lawrence
T. (Buck) Shaw. apparently
haven't any one in mind yet as
his successor.
"You fellows can speculate all
you wish," the club president,
Tony Morabito, told q news con-
ference. "But I will not confirm
or deny any name you suggest
for a new COACH"
Shaw. who had a nine-year
record OF II victories. 80 defeats
and four ties with the Forty
Miners, was dismissed by Mora
bito and his associates yester-
day. They said candidly it was
because they wanted the Ma
tional Football League cham
pionship this year.
The Forty Miners finished
third In the NFL Western divi-
sion with a 7-4-1 record this
season, including last-minute
losses to the Chicago Bears and
Baltimore Colts. In addition,
they were plagued by injuries to
players, among them Hugh Mo
Elhenny. who was the leagues
leading ground gamer when he
got hurt.
Shaw Undecided on Future.
Until yesterday, Morabito had
been dismissing with mo COM
ment" any questions about re-
newing Shaw's contract, which
expires next July.
Shaw said at first: II really
don't want to comment on it at
all. This is my time to say no
comment Then he added:
'It is never pleasant to work
under a situation such as has
existed for the past few weeks.
and I feel better now that it's
over.
II haven't the least idea what
I'm going to do. Naturally. ]
would like to stay in this area.
but I'll have to wait and see
what develops"
Shaw observed that he always
had thought "a coach receives
too much credit when his team
won, and too much criticism
when the team lost"
After all" he continued.
about so per cent Of it Is in
the players. This year we
started on with q good club in
a league in which several teams
were of almost equal strength
in the matter of physical ability.
Hit Hard by Injuries.
81 felt that injuries hit us
pretty hard. but there may have
been other things that entered
into it. Possibly coaching was
factor. ! can't say as to that.
I only know that / enjoyed the
fullest cooperation Of my assist
ants and that there never was
any dissension on the squad"
The 57-year-old former Notre
Dame tackle has coached at
North Carolina State. University
of Nevada and Santa Clara.
Santa Clara dropped football in
1912 and, in 1914. Shaw signed
to coach the future Forty Miners
of the old All-America confer
ence. He coached at California
for one season and in 1916 began
his professional coaching career.
The Forty-Niners were admitted
to the NIL in 1850.
MorabitO Explains.
Morabito's voice was trembling
with emotion when he an
nounced at a hastily-summoned
press conference yesterday that
Shaw was through. coach Buck
Shaw's contract expires in July.
1855. It will not be renewed.
He is relieved of his duties as of
this day."
Asked why. he added:
HE SHAW has been given
100 per cent authority, not SO
per cent, but 100., -Four out Of
the past five years, the Forty
Miners have either folded COM
pletely or lost the big one. I
think it's time we tried some
one else"
Morabito said he hoped to
name a coach by January. Nor
man CRedD Strader, Forty Miner
scout, was high among names
f,,.>yr, ~, oyH$lx, ny,<inv.nJ Give Aov.