2
Friday, October 24, 1975
University Daily Kansan
Fambrough follows . . .
From page one
Don Fambrough
You feel responsible for them and you feel like you failed. That's what hurts."
Fainbrough doesn't miss the stomach ache he got every Friday night—that dull, gnawing pain he felt until game time. And when he turned up to the gym that came before and after every game.
"SUNDAY MORNING CAN BE the most enjoyable time or the most miserable," Fambrough said. "After a win, you get up and talk about it after a defeat, there's no worse feeling."
Fambrough has changed some now. He's still the man that he was as a coach, but he doesn't have to carry the burden of all those worries.
"He's a lot more easygoing—not easygoing, he was always that way—but more relaxed." Weddner said. "He's not as hard as he was. He doesn't have as many worries.
"Everything goes on your shoulders when you're the head coach. But he was a big enough man to take all those pressures and more. He's the one who showed the best of us all, and he should have been the one to show the most pressure."
IF IT HADN'T BEEN FOR World War II, Famibrough might never have come to KU. After graduating from Longview (Texas) High School in 1941, Famibrough went to the Texas where he spent two seasons as a blocking back in the old single-wing formation.
After the 1943 Cotton Bowl game, which Texas won 147 over Georgia Tech, Fam. Browns won 50-26.
It was during his time in service that Fambrighou met Ray Evans, an All-American defender. He played football together with the second Air Force team at Colorado Springs. After their discharge in 1945, they decided to go to the same school and continue playing football
"I WAS ALL SET TO GO back to the University of Texas," Fambrough admitted, "but I promised Ray I would come up here and look around.
"From the day I hit campus, I fell in love
with the school and the people. I wasn't here long before I considered myself a Kaisan at heart. And it's pretty rare for a Texan to do that."
Fambrook played guard and linebacker for the KU teams of 1964-67. In 1947, he captained the Jayhawk team that posted an eight-season win and lost to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.
He was an all-conference selection both in the 1980s and his KU-all-time team as a guard in 1989.
He began his coaching career here in 1948 as a graduate assistant under J. V. Sikes. He was promoted to freshman coach in 1949 and was elevated to the varsity staff in 1950.
IN 1954, HE LEFT WITH Sikes to go to East Texas State where he spent three years. After one year at Wichita, he returned to KU in 1958 when Jack Mitchell became the head coach. He's been here ever since.
"I had such pleasant relationships with all the head coaches, that I never minded being an assistant coach," Fambrugh said. "I really enjoyed those years. I had a great deal of confidence and the attitude that as long as I was happy at what I was doing, I didn't need to change."
Fambrouch got his chance at a head coaching job when Pepper Rodgers left after the 1970 season. To Fambrouch, it was a dream come true.
"EVERY COACH, DEEP DOWN inside him, has a desire to coach at his alma mater," he said. "In my case, getting that job would have been easier than getting just any head coaching, position."
Fambrough was in his office working when he got the news that he was the new mayor.
"It was kind of a strange situation." Fambrough released. "Wade (Stinson, athletic director) just walked in the door and said, 'You're the head football coach at the University of Kansas,' then he walked out.
"I didn't say youay, nay or anything. I was simply shocked. That's just the way it happens."
played and coached under, he said D. X. Bison, his bishop at the University of Texas, had the biggest role in shaping his coaching philosophy.
"There's no doubt about it," Fambrough said. "He's had an impact on my whole team." She has played for Sainte Sauern (Fambrough's coach at KU) and J, V. Skies. Jack Mitchell also played under him at Texas. There are an awful lot of people at D. X. Bible that have been influenced by D. X. Bible.
OF ALL THE COACHES Fambrough
AND AFTER 26 YEARS, there have been
numerous players who have been influenced by
Don Famotti.
"I learned an awful lot of things from him," Wedner said. "Maybe I would have gone somewhere else, we could have won a championship, or they could be made as many of the important things of life."
"I can't say enough for him. There's not anything I wouldn't do for him."
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