Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-01
Virginia Must Rush
Hunt for Cooch to
Replace Mortinl
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES


CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va,
Feb. R).-The University Of
Virginia took q chins-up atti-I
tude today toward the loss Of
Football Coach Ben Martin and
began hurried preparations to
look for someone to replace
him.
Martins appointment yester-
day as head coach at the Air
Force Academy came as a Sc
we're shock to athletic officials
here. who regarded the former
Navy star as "the finest losing
coach in the country"
Virginia,s football fortunes
had seemed to be taking a turn
for the better, and Martin per-
haps was only a couple Of years
away from becoming a winning
coach, when he decided to go
to Denver.
Despite the fact his two
teams had won only six of 20
games, the university had Of
fered to tear up his old con-
tract and give him a new one.
In his Office was a new three
year pact that would have
awarded him a raise in pay.
He had weeks in which to sign
1t. but never did.
The search for Martins sue
cessor - Virginias' third such
quest in the last six years
will of necessity be an urgent
affair. Spring football prac-
tice is scheduled to start at
the university February "a.
Council to Meet
Mortimer Caplin, chairman
Of the university athletic coun-
Gil. said the council probably
will meet early next week to
launch a hunt for a new coach.
Though there was no pre-
dieting which way the council
would turn, the imminence of
spring practice appeared to
enhance the chances the job
might go to one Of Martins
assistants, Harrison Nesbit.
Nesbit, former varsity guard
for Virginia, narrowly missed
out on the coaching position
when it was won by Martin
in 1856 following the resigna-
ton of Ned L. Mcdonald. He
is almost certain to be an
applicant once more.
Martins first team at Vir-
GINA in 1856 won three games
and lost seven. His 1857 team
won three games Including
an upset victory over North
Carolina-while losing six and
tying one.
I'VE sure hate to lose him, ="
said Athletic Director G. K.
Tebell. Martin did a wonder
full job for us at Virginia. i. .
He is a better coach than his
record with lis showed"
Darden Sees Loss
University President Colgate
Darden, jr., said Martins de-
parture will be "a loss to the
university. We all admire him
as a coach and as a person"
Martin had been given per-
mission earlier this week to
go to Denver and speak with
Air Force Academy officials
about the head coaching post.
Rumors had been circulating
the job was his if he wanted
it. The surprise here was in
the quicknesS of his acceptance.
But in a. conversation by
telephone with Richmond
newsmen, Martin indicated he
had had his eye on the Air
Force Academy coaching posi-
ton ever since he came to
Virginia.
He said Air Force officials
first got in touch with him at
the time he was being con-
sidered by Virginia.
1.-THE job wasn't on a full
time basis, however, he said.
$50 1 told them that when
they we're ready for a full-time
operation to call me and that
I'd be interested that's all
there is to it,"
Calls Job a Challenge
Martin described the Air
Force Academy job as "a great
challenge and a great oppor-
tunity it's not so much a
matter with me of leaving
something as it is getting
something"
Martin, who is So. played and
coached at the Naval Academy
for a dozen years. He was a
halfback and end in 1912, 1943
and 1914. After active duty on
the USS Helena. he joined the
Plebe coaching staff and held
various coaching positions I'M
der head coaches Tom Hamil-
ton, George Sauer and Eddie
Erdelatz.
At the Air Force Academy
Martin is succeeding Buck
Shaw, so, former coach of the
San Francisco Forty-Niners.
The academy announced
earlier this week that Shaw
was leaving to devote more
time to his California business
interests. Shaw was hired
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