Evening star., 1954-12-18
.0IiVar andShaW
Are Mentioned
AS Successors
Head Mon Follows
5 Aides in Quitting
Strife-Torn Club
BY the Assoeiofed Press

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 18. -
Hampton Pool resigned last
night as head coach of the Rams.
saying he was doing SO "for the
good of the team"
Pool was not available for COM
ment. Neither was Dan Reeves,
president of the Rams. The brief
announcement came from Pete
Rozelle. Rams publicity man.
Pool completed his third sea-
son as head coach last Sunday.
Immediately after that game, in
which the Rams whipped the
Green Bay Packers, 1927, his
four assistant coaches quit.
Next day, Pools first lieuten-
ant. Johnny Sauer. accepted the
athletic dictatorship and head
coaching job at The Citadel,
Charleston, S. C.
Olivar Mentioned.
With Pool and his entire slate
of assistants out of the picture.
speculation began Immediately
on two possible successors. One
is Jordan Olivar. who has one
year left on a three-year con-
tract at Yale.
He makes his home here when
not actively coaching. Olivar said
early today that the Rams had
not contacted him.
The other possibility is Law
renee T. (Buck) Shaw, deposed
San Francisco Forty Miner
coach. Shaw is popular in
Southern California and his
teams have provided the Rams
with some of their most potent
opposition.
POOLS resignation came q few
days after Reeves had said for
the third time that Pool would
be head coach in 1865.
Team Dissension Revealed.
1t was known that there was
dissension in the team. This
strife first came to public notice
December / when some of the
players disclosed that Pool had
severely criticized Tom Fears.
Dan fowler and Bobby Griffin
for their play in the Rams loss
to the Chicago Bears.
Pool admitted he had criti-
cized his men on occasion ard
defended his right to do so.
Reeves had backed him to the
hilt.
The Rams, favored by some to
win the Western Division title
of the National Football League,
finished with a record of six
wins, five losses and one tie.
They placed fourth in the di-
vision, the worst showing for Los
Angeles since 1947.
Succeeded Stydahar.
Three seasons ago Pool sue
ceeded his boss, Joe Stydahar
Stydahar took over with the Chi
cago Cardinals. The rivalry be-
tween the two coaches has re-
mained bitter. Stydahar accusing
Pool of undermining him.
During his first season as head
coach Pool led the Rams into a
tie for the division champion
ship, but lost in a playof with
Detroit, 1921. Gaining second
place that year, the Rams
slipped to third last year and to
fourth this season.
Stydahar brought Pool to the
Rams in 1850 as backfield coach.
That year the Rams set % league
records, but lost the title in a
close one with Cleveland, 1923.
The Rams won the champion
ship in 1851.
Began Career at Stanford.
Pool began his football career
at Stanford, where he made ALL
Coast fullback in 1889. His pro
football days began in 1910 when
he played with the Chicago
Bears. He remained with that
team for four seasons, playing
end.
He was in the Navy in 1944-5.
In 1916 he was assistant
coach Of the Miami Seahawks in
the defunct All-America Confer
ence. The following year he was
backfleld coach for the Chicago
Rockets of the same league.
In l948-9 he was backfield
coach at San Jose State and
San Bernardino Valley College,
both in California.