Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-23

Nicholson USING
LitchfieId Theory
BY MORRIS SIEGE.

BEFORE THE DAY is over at AnnapolIs SATURDAY
Jonn Nicholson could be wishing Edward ichfeld stil
was member Of the Pitt coaching staff
ntchfield who took at his own request following
Pltts disappointing SIS record last season. suddenly ere
signed" last week ended one of the sraneest coaching
tenures in history
To his credit 1t must be said Ltchfeld got out when
the getting good The Partners were 80 under him
No coach quit with better record or with shorter
term Of office.
It wasn't a question of Ltchteld's unwillingness to
stay on, it was problem of other duties one Of which
was running the University Of Pittsburgh Litchfed hap
pens to be chancellor.
MTCHFTELD TURNED IN his whistle four days be-
fore the neighborhood braw against West Virginia which
almost ruined Mcheosens 1858 "re-debut" Panther
coacn IL was all Pitt could do to scratch out ast-quar
er touchdown to around the Mounaneers who were
doped to lose by two touchdownS
The decision Of the chancellor to return the team to
Nicholson came at a most propitious moment - for
Ltchfield not Nicholson After West Virginia there was
Navy, Syracuse, Notre Dame, Army, Penn State and
Miami coming up
The chancellor, when he stepped into the Pitt football
picture, did not demand Nicholson produce winner
He didn't recommend losing team, either. But the
Panhers had to se the chancellor insisted they at least
do 1t more interestingly
LTCHTEID NEVER PLAYED football in college and
admitted ne didn't know much about the game Despite
his confessed naivete he recognized stnker when he
spotted one and he thought the Panther efforts of e2
all Of that plus
They dull, even In winning and the coachs. MAR.
relying too much their brainpower and not enough
on the players All this had to STOP coach Itch
neld ordered No more playcang from the bench Con-
serVasm should be left to Barry Goldwater There was
no place for 1t in Pitt football.
Nicholson who has tenure as a physical educatton
professor but only yeartyear security football coach
reluctantly agreed John is Jock Sutherland disciple and
win the sutnerands an of-tackle play constitutes wide
open, razzle-dazzle football.
End runs Of course, out and the forward pass IL
considered almost cardinal sin by these old single-wng
diehards
WELL, 1T HAD BEEN fun, Litchfield agreed after the
first three victories this year but the time had come to
divorce himself from the football spotlight and look into
the zoology dental and other departments Of Pitt Unver-
Sy e So last Tuesday he called press conference and
announced that he was through with the game that
Nicholson was in charge again
Mtchfied had not spent his time foolshy it developed
In the fourth quarter against West Virginia the Partners
were in bad way They railed 1O7 and had fourth and
their IT. Last year. b. (before Litchfield)
there would be any question what the Panthers
would do. Punt maybe even on third down.
But the chancellor had created go-for-broke atmo-
sphere and Nicholson going it through even
the book dictated that the strategy completely cock
eyed Fulback John Teesky boted through center made
the first down that sent the Panhers on the way to the
eventually game-winning touchdown.
THE LTcHFIEID APPROACH is not confined tn hi.
own team Apparently the Seelers PittSburghs pro team
have become vctmized also Buddy Parker himself out
OF the conservative cult ordered against the Red
skins fourth down situation in Steeler territory The
pros made it.
Again when the Steelers had cnch field goal chance
from nine yards out Parker did not tap suretoed Lou
Mchaels. He went for the touchdown. This time the
Steeers failed and Parker probably decided that Itch
fields thinking was all right college level but In
the commercial league it's always better take three sure
points than six questionable markers
Curly Byrd often volunteered his services when he was
president Of Maryland and Jim Tatum was doing the
coaching. Byrd had honest to goodness coaching
license. He coached his alma mater for years before
moving upstairs
Byrd'S last Intervention" came several years ago
when negotiations for the renewal Of the Maryland Navy
series carried during Terp-Nndde game itself
Byrd sat with the Navy brass trying to convince them
series should be renewed.
Tatum, feeling good was coming out Of the last
minute plea, told Byrd Navy once had licked Maryland
750 and 81 feel make it rs today how about ftp"
Byrd thought and decided to Withhold decision
until halftme which found Maryland leading, 800
"Sha let em go?" Tatum asked his football-minded
president Byrd thought best to give the Middle officials
chance Take out the first offensive team he
said compromisngy but keep the first defensive team