Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-07
SPOTLIGHT
ON
SPORTS
Play q Dashing Game
By BILL FUCHS

1T WAS 66 YEARS AGO that Alonzo Stagg advised
his players Line up quickly the moment the ball down
and play daShing game from start to finish"
Now comes along Wayne Hardin, 32-year- balding
redhead, who is admirer friend and former student
of the 96yearod Stage one of footballs atime great
figures Naval Academy officials congraulatng them
selves their choice Hardin they claim definitely
will play dashing game from start to finish.
In most respects Wayne Hardin is like million other
American breadwinners. He lives in split-leve home
in housing development with his pretty brunette wife
and four small children He plays golf DIETER than
age and bridge and trying to get community swimming
pool project started in his neighborhood With the help
of his nextdoor neighbor he has just erected
fence around his lot.
AND, LIKE MOST FATHERS, Hardin is not impressing
his young offspring with such small matter as being
named Navyis head football coach. But building that
wooden fence had eyes popping in the faces of Gary
Gregg, 6; Dick, 4, and sheri Ann, 21a.
"The first day got the Navy job" Hardin says 81
was on Tv. That impressed 'em for about 80 minutes
The next day heard the kids up the street yelling
my kids Your dads pictures in the paper That inn
pressed 'em for about minutes"
Pat Wayne's comedy wife, says that color-wise, he
makes much better basketball COACH job he held at
Portereld Junior College WaS he Somethng!" Pat says
He'd get all excited and turns red, green and purple
RedheadS like that you know That's what used to
go to the games for, to see the colors"
HARDIN WILL BRING to Navy football a pleasant
mixture of wit, philosophy and sense. Here
few of his observations:
On pre-game butterflies, an occupatonal hazard of
football coachng-"Coaches have them, players have
them, fans have them. That's anticipation That's the
game, roofing for side the other. If it weren't
for that, it would be very, very dull"
On innovations There's nothing in football.
When was coaching high school and then thought
had pretty good idea Felt real proud of myself until
I felt ridiculous"
On Nays new stadum-"Every place I've coached
1 helped build open stadium-at Ceres High
School in California Portervle Junior College, College of
the Pacific and here One thing about t-think of
all the records we'll set. Even if show up against
William & Mary, that will be stadium record"
On the press-"That's my one great fear. I'm afraid
I'm going to be talking to the press sometime and stick
my foot in it,"
ON THE TRUE VALUE of coaching-There is story
out of Hardns not-so distant past that best illustrates
his feelings on this subject. AS he tells it:
1T happened at Ceres High School, my first year
there had this boy out for football and even got
him job as church janitor. But he was always in
trouble He bright but he always skipping class
and getting into mischief Finally it to head The
vice principal looking for him he wasn't in class
and they were going to give him the boot.
II ran blocks in the rain to the church and
found him sweeping it out-on class time, of
hustled him back to my Office and contacted the vice
principal told him the boy had been with
well the boy caused no trouble. He went on
to become the second aeague center andhe graduated
He put in stretch in the Marines honorably dis
charged and then Potervie Junior College and
then on to Chico State College At Chico he majored in
education became vice president of the student body and
now he is fine man, teacher a married with
two children.
T THAT is whatrmakes coaching worth while"