Evening star., 1961-01-11
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW ;, FRANCE, ,rA~~
In Answer to a Question

THE ANSWER is very simple" George Preston Mar
shall OF the Redskins patiently explained college coaches
don't know game"
al Sherman had just been promoted to head coach
OF the New York Giants" He Is long list Of
pro assistants to move So the question asked:
why aren't big-tim college coaches hired any more?
1dont say that college coaches couldn't do the job
Marshall qualified But they'd have to be assistants in
pro football for least couple of years There's such
decided difference between the two games"
Such as? well, the main difference is the substitu-
ton rule The pro coach has to know how to free
substitution The college coach has his rule He's
got to unlearn one and learn the other"
Marshall admits that's oversimpifying it. There's
another factor he offered "The pro coach is dealing
with mature men, not boys There's difference here too
GEORGES CONTENTION is that pro football PLAYERS
are lar more mature than in pre-World War II days
Even rookie of 21 or % invariably is married man.
with maybe family to support He isn't full of that
ran spirit Matter OF fact there's college life any
more. The college is more like factory now"
Whatever the reasons it's obvious that college coaches
haven't been in any great demand by pro football owners
for years. Right now in the National 1eapue thors
isn't single head coach who fresh from campus
Nine have been pro assistants with Nick Skorch expected
to become No. 10 any moment moving up as Buck shaws
successor as boss of the Philadelphia Eagles
The only three apprentices are George Halas ~
the Chicago Bears Paul Brown of the Cleveland Browns
and Pop Ivy of the St. Louis Cardinals Haas always has
owned the Bears Partowner Brown at Cleveland served
Ivy just grew into a head coach
EVEN THAT OTHER LEAGUE" Marshall pointed out
picked real pros for coaches George refers to the
American League by name it's always that other league
Look at their list" he suggested "Baugh Flchock
Erdeaz. Gilman Ramsey, Rymkus all those are pros
Erdeaz? Sure he coached Navy but before that he was
an assistant with the Forty Miners wasn't he?"
There's good chance that therel be II former assist
anus IN mead coaching jobs in the National League soon
The new Minnesota Vikings haven't picked coach vet
out they may tap somebody's aide. Even Quarterback
Norm van Brockn the retiring quarterback would qualify
as former assistant The only difference is that with the
Eagles these last few the Dutchman has been pav
ing coach.
Inc Giants have been turning out pretty fair brand
OF coaches lately Jim Lee Howell who's Just retired was
one of Steve Owens aides Vince lombard who brought
the Packers from the cellar to the Western Division title
in two years was Howell assistant So was Tom Landry
no" heao coach OF the Dallas Cowboys And Sherman
IN HIS EARLY DAYS in the NFI, Marshall tried sew
eral college coaches Lud Wray from Penn was his first
back IN 1882 in Boston Eddie Casey from Harvard was
another, but then Ray Flaherty a pro-type and
the Redskins prospered most under this ex-Gant end
Dutch Bergman, who followed, was a college coach
ana SO was Dud DeGroot The last Admiral
John E. (Biick) Whechel who had coached the Naval
Academy In l943 then left football for five wears Rillc
lasted less than season.
Actually Marshall had wanted Paul Bryant now the
Alabama coach when he hired Whechel to succeed Turk
Edwards I'VE had contract all drawn up" George re-
veas and Bryant was all set to sign it when Leo De-
Orsey my attorney remembered that Paul still was under
contract to the University of Kentucky
Leo said, Whoa, wait minute! Until Paul gets his
release from Kentucky maybe we'd just better shake hands
on this DEAL We did, but Bryant couldn't get release
Thas was when Whechel was contacted but since Bill
hck al tne Eedskn coaches have been pros, up to and
including Bill McPeak