Clark Shaughnessy Clark Daniel Shaughnessy ( March 6 , 1892 – May 15 , 1970 ) was an American football coach and innovator . He is sometimes called the " father of the T formation " , although that system had previously been used as early as the 1880s . Shaughnessy did , however , modernize the obsolescent T formation to make it once again relevant in the sport . He employed his innovations most famously on offense , but on the defensive side of the ball as well , and he earned a reputation as a ceaseless experimenter . Shaughnessy held head coaching positions at Tulane University , Loyola University New Orleans , the University of Chicago , Stanford University , the University of Maryland , the University of Pittsburgh , the University of Hawaii , and in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams . Shaughnessy also served in advisory capacities with the Chicago Bears and the Washington Redskins . He reached the height of his success in 1940 , in his first season at Stanford , where he led the Indians to an undefeated season that culminated with a Rose Bowl victory . That year , he also helped prepare the Chicago Bears for the 1940 NFL Championship Game , in which they routed Washington , 73 – 0 . Shaughnessy ' s successes showcased the effectiveness of the T formation and encouraged its widespread adoption . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1968 . Shaughnessy also coached college basketball at Tulane University . He played college football at the University of Minnesota . Early life and college . Shaughnessy was born on March 6 , 1892 in St . Cloud , Minnesota , the second son of Lucy Ann ( Foster ) and Edward Shaughnessy . He attended North St . Paul High School , and prior to college , had no athletic experience . When he attended the University of Minnesota , however , he played college football under head coach Henry L . Williams and alongside halfback Bernie Bierman . Shaughnessy considered Williams to be football ' s greatest teacher , and Williams considered him to be the best passer from the Midwest . Shaughnessy handled both the passing and kicking duties for the team . He played on the freshman squad in 1910 and on the varsity squad from 1911 to 1913 , first as an end , then a tackle in 1912 , and finally as a fullback in 1913 . Of the three , Shaughnessy said he preferred the tackle position . In 1912 , he recovered three fumble s against Iowa , and Walter Camp named him an alternate on his All - America team . As a senior , Shaughnessy was named to the All - Big Ten Conference first team . Shaughnessy played basketball as a guard and ran track in the 440 - and 880 - yard events . The Minnesota athletic director asked him to join the basketball team before a game against Illinois , despite the fact he had never played and did not know the rules . He joined the track and field team in similar fashion , and replaced a half - mile runner even though he did not own and had never worn track spikes . In " The Big Ten : A Century of Excellence " , Shaughnessy was called " one of the most versatile athletes in Minnesota ' s history . " Shaughnessy also competed as a rower with the St . Paul Boat Club . He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity . Coaching career . Tulane . After graduation , he remained at his alma mater , Minnesota , for one season as an assistant coach in 1914 . Tulane University selected Shaughnessy as head football coach in 1915 over potential candidates Dana X . Bible and Charley Moran , among others . Notre Dame assistant coach Knute Rockne and Ray Morrison were both unable to travel to New Orleans for an interview , and Tulane officials required a face - to - face meeting with the applicants . The school offered Shaughnessy $ 1 , 875 ( $ adjusted for inflation ) to be its football , basketball , and track coach , and athletic director . When he arrived , he found the football field in a state of disrepair and the equipment to be woefully inadequate . Because the athletic department was in dire financial straits , Shaughnessy paid to purchase new equipment for the team . With only one opponent scheduled in the upcoming season , he wrote letters to sixty schools to secure additional games . Shaughnessy introduced to Tulane the Minnesota shift , an innovation created by his former coach Henry L . Williams . By 1919 , Shaughnessy had transformed Tulane into a competitor amongst Southern collegiate teams . That season , he guided them to a then school record of seven consecutive wins . In 1920 , Germany Schulz was hired to take over duties as athletic director , and he also aided Shaughnessy as the line coach from 1923 to 1925 . In 1923 , Shaughnessy hired his former teammate Bernie Bierman as an assistant coach . Bierman remained on the staff for three seasons before he left to become head coach at Mississippi A & M . In 1924 , Tulane set a new school record for wins and finished with an 8 – 1 record . The following season , the Green Wave bested the prior year ' s mark and posted a 9 – 0 – 1 record . School officials declined an invitation to face Washington in the Rose Bowl , because they believed the Tulane players were too small . Indiana University attempted to hire Shaughnessy after his undefeated season , but he instead chose to sign a ten - year extension with Tulane . In a 1926 article written for the NEA News Service , he responded to those who asked him how the " Shaughnessy System " worked so well . He said , " If there is a ' Shaughnesy system ' at Tulane , if it has any ' secret , ' two words tell the whole story — common sense . All that I have done at Tulane is take the material I found and train it in plays built around the individual abilities of each man . " Despite optimistic preseason predictions , Tulane suffered its first and only losing season of Shaughnessy ' s tenure in 1926 . He was considered for the head job at Northwestern in February 1927 after Clarence Spears turned it down . Shaughnessy later received similar offers from Louisiana State and Wisconsin . On April 8 , 1927 , he tendered his resignation without a publicly stated reason and was subsequently released from his contract . Tulane replaced him with former assistant Bernie Bierman . " The Milwaukee Journal " credited Shaughnessy with building a formidable team at Tulane , and noted that he increased revenue and improved facilities , while he used the available players and did not pay them " a nickel " . At the end of his tenure , Shaughnessy held a record of 59 – 28 – 7 , and as of 2010 , he remains the winningest Tulane football coach by number of wins . He also coached the basketball team for three seasons between 1915 and 1918 and amassed a 27 – 15 record . Loyola . In June 1927 , nearby Loyola of the South hired Shaughnessy as its head football coach . According to " The Wow Boys : A Coach , a Team , and a Turning Point in College Football " , a New Orleans millionaire offered him $ 175 , 000 to coach Loyola for ten years ( $ adjusted for inflation ) . This made him one of the highest paid football coaches in the nation at the time . In 1928 , Loyola traveled to South Bend , Indiana to play in its season opener . The Wolves took a 6 – 0 halftime lead before they eventually fell , 12 – 6 . After the game , Notre Dame head coach Knute Rockne reportedly said , " Never get me another ' warm - up game ' against a team coached by that guy . " The following year , Rockne was asked to name the best football coach and responded , " Modesty forbids . . . But if I can name the two best football coaches in America , one of them is going to be Clark Shaughnessy . " At Loyola , Shaughnessy retained his emphasis on the forward pass . In 1930 , the Wolves beat larger but unprepared and teams in consecutive weeks with the same passing play . During his tenure , he was called " the greatest one man coaching staff in football . " He also brought to Loyola his modified version of the Minnesota shift , which he claimed no opponent had been able to completely counteract . In 1931 , California considered Shaughnessy as a candidate for its head coaching job . Despite opportunities to coach elsewhere , Shaughnessy remained in New Orleans because he liked the city and it was his wife ' s hometown . He compiled a 38 – 16 – 6 record at Loyola from 1927 to 1932 . Chicago . After the 1932 season , University of Chicago president Dr . Robert Maynard Hutchins forced out 70 - year old head coach Amos Alonzo Stagg , whom he considered too old for the position . Stagg then moved on to coach at the College of the Pacific . Athletic director T . Nelson Metcalf hired Shaughnessy to replace Stagg as head coach in 1933 . Shaughnessy inherited a difficult situation at Chicago , and for the most part , lacked good material . He did , however , inherit from Stagg at least one important recruit : inaugural Heisman Trophy winner and future Hall of Fame back Jay Berwanger , whom many Midwest pundits considered the best back of the 1930s . Under an academic program implemented in 1933 known as the New Plan or the Chicago Plan , annual comprehensive examinations replaced end - of - term testing . This new schedule conflicted with spring football practice , which was shortened each subsequent season until it was eventually eliminated altogether . Without that extra practice to learn Shaughnessy ' s complex system , time had to be devoted to basics in the fall . The New Plan also hindered the availability of suitable football players : It encouraged younger students to enroll , discouraged the transfer of student - athlete s , and had stringent academic requirements to maintain athletic eligibility . Athletic director Metcalf said , " Others do legitimate recruiting , which we do not . " Putting Chicago at further disadvantage to its Big Ten opponents , university president Hutchins would not countenance the establishment of a physical education major . At the first practice in 1933 , Shaughnessy assessed he would have a good line , but an undersized backfield . He told the assembled candidates that they would use an open game and fast passing attack to offset their disadvantages . In his first season , Shaughnessy awarded a box of candy to the Maroon player who made the first tackle of each game for the player to give to his girlfriend . The " C " men alumni organization created similar incentives for the most valuable player , best tackler , and best blocker . In January 1934 , Shaughnessy hired Marchmont Schwartz as an assistant coach . Schwartz had played on Shaughnessy ' s Loyola freshman team before he transferred to Notre Dame . In February , Shaughnessy declined interest from Ohio State to replace former head coach Sam Willaman , and said that he had already assembled his coaching staff and had no desire to leave Chicago . In 1935 , offered Shaughnessy a job as its head coach , which he seriously considered . Chicago moved to retain him , possibly with a salary increase , and the Harvard job ultimately went to former coach Dick Harlow . After breaking even in each of his first three seasons , Shaughnessy ' s Chicago teams suffered a losing record each year from 1936 to 1939 . Chicago finished the 1939 season with a 2 – 6 record and were winless in the Big Ten Conference . The Maroons were outscored by their opponents , 308 – 37 , and failed to tally in each loss . These included routs by Michigan , 85 – 0 ; Ohio State , 61 – 0 ; , 46 – 0 ; , 61 – 0 ; and , 47 – 0 . President Hutchins , who hated the sport and said " there is no doubt that football has been a major handicap to education in the United States , " successfully pushed to have the program disbanded . He said , " I did not de - emphasize football at the University of Chicago , I abolished it . " Hutchins hoped the move would set an example for other universities to follow , but this did not occur . Shaughnessy could have remained at Chicago , where he held a " lifetime sinecure " as a physical education professor and earned a comfortable salary of $ 7 , 500 ( $ adjusted for inflation ) , but he was intent on continuing to coach . He described football as his passion and hobby . His final record at Chicago was 17 – 34 – 4 . During his coaching tenure at the University of Chicago , Shaughnessy befriended George Halas , the owner and coach of the Chicago Bears . In 1930 , Halas had hired Ralph Jones , the athletic director and football coach at nearby Lake Forest College , who had been his freshman coach at the University of Illinois in 1914 . Under head coach Robert Zuppke , Illinois employed the T formation in " its most rudimentary form " . With the Bears , Jones experimented with the old T formation , and he spread the linemen , pushed out one receiver , and used a back as a man in motion , the latter usually being Red Grange . While these changes were innovative , they were not game - changing , and the T was used to complement the single - wing offense rather than replace it . In 1935 , Shaughnessy described to Halas his vision of the T formation that used " hidden ball stuff , but with power " . He had not employed it at the University of Chicago because he lacked the players to execute it . In 1937 , Shaughnessy began to work part - time as a consultant to the Bears for $ 2 , 000 per year ( $ adjusted for inflation ) . In that capacity , he helped refine the T formation and analyzed scouting reports . The Bears continued to experiment with the T , and after Shaughnessy left Chicago , the formation became the club ' s standard offensive formation in 1940 . The media has sometimes erroneously credited Shaughnessy for the invention of the T formation . The Associated Press wrote that " he was , however , undeniably the father of the modern T - attack . " Shaughnessy himself called it the oldest formation in football . Stanford . In 1939 , the Stanford Indians posted a 1 – 7 – 1 record to finish last in the Pacific Coast Conference , which resulted in the relief of head coach Tiny Thornhill . At the time , the 1939 Stanford Indians were considered the worst team to have ever represented the university . After the season , Stanford unsuccessfully attempted to hire Missouri coach Don Faurot . During the job search , Stanford officials were surprised to learn how well regarded Shaughnessy , a coach of only occasionally successful squads , was amongst his peers . Many considered him as a " mad scientist " of football experimentation . In January 1940 , Stanford University awarded a five - year contract to Shaughnessy as its head football coach , passing over predicted frontrunner John Bain Sutherland . The move surprised even Shaughnessy , who said , " I didn ' t expect it . " Many Stanford alumni were upset with the decision to hire Shaughnessy . The most popular candidates for the vacant position were two Stanford alumni themselves : San Jose State coach Dudley DeGroot , and Santa Clara coach Buck Shaw . Some believed the Shaughnessy hiring was a ploy to eventually eliminate football at the school , as had happened at both Loyola and Chicago the year prior . The Bay Area media mocked the Shaughnessy hiring as comically inept . They believed that a prestigious academic school had foolishly hired an inveterate loser as its head coach . Prescott Sulivan of the " San Francisco Examiner " and Jack McDonald of the " San Francisco Call - Bulletin " coined the nickname " Soup " for Shaughnessy , which they sarcastically explained was a diminutive for the word " super " . Sullivan wrote , " We have heard it said that Shaughnessy has developed the knack of losing to the point where , with him , it is an exact science . In light of his record , we aren ' t at all surprised at this . " The Stanford players were also skeptical of Shaughnessy ' s abilities . Center Milt Vucinich said , " We ' d been reading about all those beatings Shaughnessy ' s men had taken , so we were joking among ourselves that wasn ' t it just like Stanford to hire somebody like this to coach us . " Although Stanford had fared poorly during the previous seasons , Thornhill had left behind a team with a talented roster , which included 24 returning lettermen . Shaughnessy believed the players were good , but unsuited to the single - wing offense that his predecessor had employed . Perhaps most importantly , Shaughnessy inherited back Frankie Albert , whom he considered a prototypical T formation quarterback . In 1943 , Shaughnessy wrote that he considered the 1940 Stanford backfield — quarterback Frankie Albert , fullback Norm Standlee , right halfback Hugh Gallarneau , and left halfback Pete Kmetovic — as the greatest in history . While he believed the Indians backfield was better than any such combination in the single - wing , double - wing , short punt , or box formation s , he added the caveat that this held true only in the Stanford players ' employment in the T - formation . Shaughnessy assembled a competent coaching staff in line coach Phil Bengston and backfield coach Marchmont Schwartz . He also hired former Chicago Bears quarterback Bernie Masterson to mentor Frankie Albert . Shaughnessy ' s version of the T formation relied on motion and deception , and therefore differed from its earlier 19th - century incarnations , such as that used by Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago , which emphasized power . In contrast to the single - wing , the new T did not use massed blocking formations for the ball - carrier . Instead , it utilized " brush blocking " , where the linemen would only need to block a defender for one or two seconds . This scheme greatly reduced the disadvantage of an undersized line . Also different from the single - wing , the direct snap and position of the backs in the T formation shielded the ball from the view of defenders . This allowed for far more effective deception . Shaughnessy reportedly drew inspiration for his strategy from the " Panzer " tactics of " Wehrmacht " general Heinz Guderian . Most sportswriters , unfamiliar with the T formation , called it the " Shaughnessy Formation " or " Shaughnessy ' s new razzle - dazzle attacks . " Bill Reiser of the " San Francisco Chronicle " referred to it correctly when he wrote : " No one knows for sure what kind of football the Indians will play from this new T - Formation . . . They start from the Notre Dame T and then stop looking like Notre Dame because they don ' t shift at all and never do get into the famous box formation . The man - in - motion may stop anywhere on the field . He changes the formation . [ Quarterback Frankie ] Albert parks himself right behind the center and takes the ball directly from his hands on nearly all plays . It ' s football unlike any previously played on the Coast . " 1940 season . The team conducted intense preparations during the spring and fall practices before the 1940 season . On one occasion , Stanford athletic director Al Masters angrily complained that the maintenance department had left on the practice field lights , only to be told that the team was still practicing . In one scrimmage , the varsity offense managed only a single touchdown against the freshman team , which prompted Shaughnessy to secretly draft a single - wing playbook in the event that the T formation failed . The 1940 season opened with Stanford facing at Kezar Stadium as part of the first - ever major college football doubleheader . It also featured and Utah , but despite its unprecedented nature , the event was overshadowed by a concurrent game deemed much more significant between and Michigan in nearby Berkeley . After Santa Clara defeated Utah , 34 – 14 , the Stanford game began at 3 : 30 p . m . It started off sloppily , and the Indians failed to advance the ball in their first two possessions . In their third series , however , Albert connected with an uncovered receiver , Hugh Gallarneau , for a 17 - yard pass . Fullback Norm Standlee then rushed for 20 yards . Halfback Pete Kmetovic ran untouched up the middle for the game ' s first touchdown . Stanford went on to win , 27 – 0 , and outgained San Francisco by a margin of 247 yards to eight . After the game , San Francisco head coach George Malley said , " We were baffled , naturally , by all that running around in the backfield . " After the game , convinced that the T formation worked , Shaughnessy discarded the single - wing playbook he had drafted . The following week , Stanford defeated , 13 – 0 . The Indians then beat Santa Clara , 7 – 6 , which was the Broncos ' only loss of the season . Stanford rallied to beat 19th - ranked , 24 – 13 . A week later , the Indians defeated their fifth unbeaten opponent , 17th - ranked Southern California , 21 – 7 . They continued on to beat UCLA , 20 – 14 ; 11th - ranked Washington , 20 – 10 ; 19th - ranked Oregon State , 28 – 14 ; and , 13 – 7 . Stanford , with a perfect 9 – 0 record , secured the Pacific Coast Conference championship and an invitation to the 1941 Rose Bowl , where they faced seventh - ranked Nebraska . The Indians won , 21 – 13 , with the final score coming on a 39 - yard punt return by Kmetovic . Before the Rose Bowl , Shaughnessy lent help to his old associate George Halas of the Chicago Bears , which in Sid Luckman , had found a quarterback well suited to the T formation . Before the NFL Championship Game against the Washington Redskins , Shaughnessy devised a series of counter plays to confuse their opponent , which on game film had shown a tendency to shift linebacker s in the direction of the motion man . His preparations helped Chicago rout Washington , 73 – 0 . At the end of the season , the Poling System named Stanford the national champions , and in later years , the Billingsley Report and Helms Athletic Foundation did likewise retroactively . Shaughnessy was voted the Scripps - Howard Coach of the Year by a wide margin , and Albert and Gallarneau were named to All - America first teams . The media nicknamed the 1940 squad the " Wow Boys " , a play on their impressive feats and the earlier Stanford " Vow Boys " , which were named for Tiny Thornhill ' s promise to never lose to Southern California . Stanford ' s and the Chicago Bears ' unexpected success with the modern T formation prompted coaches around the nation to adopt it . Shaughnessy and Halas taught coaching clinics , and Bears quarterback Sid Luckman installed the formation at his alma mater , . Luckman also helped implement the T on national championship teams at both Army and Notre Dame . By 1944 , more than half of the country ' s football teams at the collegiate and professional level were using the T . In 1949 , the Pittsburgh Steelers were the only NFL team still using the single - wing . The T formation led to numerous derivatives , many of which remain in use today , including the power I , pro set , veer , wishbone , split T , wing T , and West Coast offense . 1941 season . Shaughnessy made the " pessimistic " prediction of at least two losses for his 1941 squad , which lost Gallarneau and Standlee to graduation . His forecast proved accurate , as injuries took their toll , and the team lost to Oregon State , , and to finish with a 6 – 3 record . After the Indians fell in their penultimate game , Stanford , Washington , and Oregon State were tied for first - place in the Pacific Coast Conference with two losses each . California ' s upset win over Stanford , 16 – 0 , in the finale ensured that Oregon State received the Rose Bowl bid . In February 1942 , Shaughnessy traveled to Yale University , which was considering three candidates for its vacant head coaching position . A month later , he said he was not interested in Yale , but that he might move to an unnamed Eastern school with little football tradition . Shaughnessy resigned in March 1942 to move to Maryland . A 1977 " Sports Illustrated " article reported that he decided to leave when he realized Stanford might discontinue its football program during World War II . He expressed disappointment about leaving , but believed the new job would provide a challenge . Maryland reportedly offered the same salary as Stanford , $ 9 , 000 ( $ adjusted for inflation ) , and a position on its faculty . First stint at Maryland . At Maryland , Shaughnessy served as the head football coach , athletic director , and director of physical education , under a " lifetime contract " . Shaughnessy introduced a red and white color scheme for the Maryland uniforms , which replaced the longstanding combination of black and gold . He installed the T formation , and mentored quarterback Tommy Mont , whom he compared favorably with Frankie Albert . He also praised Terrapins fullback Jack Wright and likened him to Norm Standlee . In 1942 , the Terrapins amassed a 7 – 2 record under Shaughnessy , and the Associated Press assessed it was a " pretty fair ball club " . Mont finished the season as one of the top three passers in the nation . After the season , Shaughnessy left Maryland for Pittsburgh , a move he later called , " the worst thing I ever did . " Pittsburgh . In 1943 , Shaughnessy replaced Pittsburgh head coach Charles W . Bowser , who had applied for a commission in the United States Navy . The University of Pittsburgh had de - emphasized football , a move with which Shaughnessy said he was in accordance . He also said he would not guarantee any number of wins as coach . During this time , Shaughnessy had to contend with the loss of players to the wartime draft . At Pittsburgh , his teams compiled a 10 – 17 record from 1943 to 1945 without a winning season . In 1943 , the National Safety Council honored him with an award for " developing and applying coaching methods that provide maximum protection for the players . " In March 1944 , Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall hired Shaughnessy as an advisor , a position he held concurrently with his duties at Pittsburgh . He mentored new head coach Dudley DeGroot in the T formation , in which quarterback Sammy Baugh excelled . Pittsburgh , however , disapproved of his affiliation with the professional franchise . Second stint at Maryland . In February 1946 , Shaughnessy accepted an offer to return to Maryland amidst mounting criticism at Pittsburgh , which included the threat of resignation from three assistant coaches . University of Maryland president Dr . H . C . Byrd , himself a former football coach , called Shaughnessy one of the top - three coaches in the nation . Shaughnessy complained that he was not given a fair chance to succeed at Pittsburgh and that controversy over his role with the Redskins was without basis . The Pittsburgh athletic board had recommended Shaughnessy be retained as coach if he resigned from the Redskins , but he refused . Shaughnessy said , " The funny part of it is that I gave Maryland the roughest deal I have ever given anyone in my life , and when Dr . [ Byrd ] offered me a chance to come back , I accepted . " Because of his repeated job changes , the Associated Press dubbed Shaugnessy " football ' s man in motion " . At Maryland , he replaced Bear Bryant who had departed for Kentucky . Shaughnessy reintroduced his preferred red and white uniforms , which again replaced the black and gold scheme and remained the dominant colors until 1987 . His return to Maryland was far less successful than his first stint . The Terrapins amassed a 3 – 6 record in 1946 . In November , he claimed a " Washington Post " story misquoted him as calling some of his ex - servicemen players " bums " . The same article reported he would be fired at the end of the season . " The Post " ran another quote that Shaughnessy admitted was accurate : " There are some boys on this team who would have been fired a long time ago by another coach for their personal conduct . " After the season , it was rumored that the Redskins were interested in promoting him to replace head coach Turk Edwards , but the franchise denied it and Shaughnessy would not comment on his plans . In January 1947 , he quit as Maryland coach , stating that he did not want to remain athletic director or resign from the Washington Redskins , both of which the school wanted . Shaughnessy said he would work full - time for the Redskins for the remaining year on his contract , and might return to coach only college football at the end of his term , possibly with Maryland . President Byrd affirmed that Shaughnessy ' s poor 1946 record was not related to his departure . He was replaced by split T proponent Jim Tatum . Los Angeles Rams . In 1948 , Shaughnessy joined the Los Angeles Rams as a " technical advisor " to head coach Bob Snyder . In the preseason , owner Dan Reeves was so impressed with Shaughnessy that Reeves promoted him to head coach and fired Snyder . At Los Angeles , Shaughnessy developed the pro set that used a three wide receiver set . He made this change to capitalize on running back Elroy " Crazy Legs " Hirsch , who he thought would make a better flanker . Los Angeles captured the Western Conference Championship in 1949 . Reeves fired Shaughnessy after two seasons , because he had created " internal friction " . One source explained that Shaughnessy ' s eccentricities and continuously expanding playbook had taken its toll on the players . He was replaced by assistant coach Joe Stydahar . Shaughnessy said , " Stydahar coach the Rams ? I could take a high school team and beat him . " Stydahar , however , led the Rams to the National Conference Championship that season , and the team set numerous NFL passing and scoring records . Chicago Bears . In 1951 , Shaughnessy was rumored as a candidate for the vacant Washington Redskins head coaching job , but nothing came of it . From 1951 to 1962 , Shaughnessy served on the staff of the Chicago Bears as a technical advisor , vice president , and defensive specialist . Halas retained responsibility for the offense , including the Bears ' T formation . Ironically , Shaughnessy was tasked with developing a defense to counter the T formation . One of his solutions was the 5 – 3 – 3 defense , which left outside linebackers available to defend against end runs and passes in the flat . In 1954 , Shaughnessy attended the Blue – Gray Game in Montgomery , Alabama , scouting specifically for flankers . assistant Ray Wedgeworth told him the best receiver in the state was not playing in the game : Harlon Hill of Florence State Teachers ' College . Shaughnessy requested game film from Hill ' s coach , and eventually , the Bears selected him with their 15th pick in the 1954 NFL Draft . That season , he was named the NEA NFL MVP . In October 1961 , the Bears — utilizing Shaughnessy ' s complex , shifting defensive alignments — stifled San Francisco 49ers coach Red Hickey ' s new shotgun formation , 31 – 0 . Chicago had learned lessons against the Baltimore Colts who had attempted to use the shotgun the previous week . Shaughnessy explained his Chicago defensive scheme in November 1961 : " We can adjust to fit three things . We have defenses to fit the [ offense ] we face , the personnel we face and the situation in the game . Bill George calls the basic overall defense . Then Fred Williams calls the defense for the rush men . Richie Petitbon calls the defense for the backs . All of these are real bright boys , and they do a great job . " Shaughnessy mentored middle linebacker Bill George as the defensive play - caller . Bears coach Abe Gibron likened George to having Shaughnessy himself on the field . Shaughnessy worked to counter the increasing use of the forward pass . He emphasized man - to - man coverage , dropped linebacker s or defensive end s into pass coverage , and utilized blitzes from multiple directions — which had previously consisted mostly of just a middle linebacker . Former Chicago Bears head coach Heartley " Hunk " Anderson gave a highly critical account of his interactions with Shaughnessy in " Notre Dame , Chicago Bears , and Hunk Anderson " . He described one incident , during a game against the Cleveland Browns , where Shaughnessy implored Anderson to call an " end run " . Anderson , thinking he noticed a vulnerability to exploit , asked which end run and which blocking assignments to use . Shaughnessy replied that any end run would do . Anderson asked in disgust for Shaughnessy to sit down and watch the rest of the game . He explained that the Bears had 28 different end runs to each side for each of the four backs , each of which had numerous blocking schemes . He added , " You just can ' t say ' any end run ' . . . You have to choose one . " Anderson also claimed Shaughnessy plagiarized plays from other coaches , renamed them , and claimed them as his own . At the end of the 1962 season , Shaughnessy tendered his resignation with a year remaining on his contract . He expressed regret in his departure and admiration for Halas , but said that he felt it was time for a change . Hawaii . Shaughnessy briefly returned to coaching in 1965 when he took over at , where the football program was " in a moribund state " and " close to extinction " . Hawaii amassed a 1 – 8 – 1 record during Shaughnessy ' s only season , but the Associated Press credited him with reviving the program . He was replaced by the school ' s first full - time coach , Phil Sarboe . Personal life . In December 1917 , he married L . Mae , with whom he had one son and two daughters : Clark Shaughnessy , Jr . ; Janice Shaughnessy ; and Marcia Wilson . He met his wife in New Orleans while coaching at Tulane . A teetotaler , Shaughnessy held a negative opinion of both drinkers and smokers . Marchmont Schwartz noted , " When he said , ' Let ' s go have a drink , ' he meant , ' Let ' s go drink a milk shake . . . He disappointed a lot of newspapermen that way . " Aside from his declared hobby as a football coach and experimenter , he enjoyed long - distance driving . Shaughnessy preferred to devise plays late at night , between midnight and dawn , while his household slept . A 1977 " Sports Illustrated " article described him as an " ascetic " and his lifestyle as " Sparta n " . It noted he would go to bed as early as 7 o ' clock , and wake up for work at three or four in the morning . Shaughnessy did not take criticism well . In one incident , he demanded that a critical columnist leave a Northern California Football Writers ' Association meeting . During a 1945 press conference while coach at Pittsburgh , Shaughnessy responded to criticism that he had been too conservative in a 6 – 0 win over and taken too many risks in a 39 – 9 loss to . He said , " You tell me what to do . Shall we play a conservative game — hold down the score and play to look good — or shall we gamble , depending on a freak chance to win but losing by a big score if we fail ? " After he joined the Chicago Bears ' staff , sportswriter Roger Treat said , " I always looked upon Clark Shaughnessy as a conscientious idealist who might better have followed the trail of Father Flanagan of Boys Town . He may never be entirely happy in the jovial thuggery of pro football , where every man has a little assassin in him . " Illinois head coach Robert Zuppke said , " The world lost the greatest undertaker when Clark Shaughnessy decided on football coaching . " Shaughnessy ' s grandson is Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann . Later life . Shaughnessy retired to Santa Monica , California . On May 4 , 1970 , he was admitted to Santa Monica Hospital suffering from hypertension . He died there at the age of 78 on May 15 . The College Football Hall of Fame inducted Shaughnessy in 1968 . Shaughnessy was a semifinalist in the 2010 Pro Football Hall of Fame class , but was not selected . Shaughnessy had been a finalist for induction in 1970 , 1975 , and 1976 , but fell short in the voting each time . He was inducted into the University of Minnesota " M " Club Hall of Fame in 2010 , the Tulane University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1977 , and the Stanford University Athletic Hall of Fame .