Sikes Begins 6th Year As Jayhawks' Mentor
Heading into his sixth year as leader of Kansas grid fortunes is J. V. Sikes, former Texas Aggie great, who will be aided by nine assistants.
Sikes, who took over the reins as head coach in 1948, has guided the Jayhawkers to 33 wins, 17 losses and no ties in five years, to mark up the best Kansas coaching record since Bert Kennedy's 39-7-3 record from 1904 to 1909.
The rugged taskmasterlearned his football from Dana X. Bible in the wide-open high-offensive Southwest conference where passing very often piles up more yardage in a game than rushing.
Since Sikes came to Kansas his teams have rolled up a yardage average of 2210 yards rushing and 1160 yards through the air for an average of 337 yards a game. The Jayhawkers have scored 254 points a year, or better than a 4-touchdown average per game during his reign.
Last year's Sikes-coached club
pulsed the season with a 7-3 record.
Only two extra points kept it from
having a 7-1-2 mark.
Kansas' head grid coach won nine letters at Texas A&M in football, basketball, and baseball. He was all-conference end in 1927 and played on the West team in the 1928 East-West Shrine game. Sikes was a coach for the West team last year.
Before coming to Kansas, Sikes coached Blinn Memorial college to a 14-5 record in 1928-29. In 1930 he moved to Burleson college where he guided his team to a 7-2 mark. He was absent from the head-coaching scene until 1935 when he took over Texas Aggie freshmen, guiding them on their way to Kansas in 1938. In 1944, while in the Navy, Sikes coached St. Mary's Pre-flight school to a 4-4 mark, and in 1948 he came to Kansas.
Aiding Sikes as full-time assistants are four coaching veterans and 2 newcomers to the Kansas coaching scene. Returning staff members include Don Fambrough line coach, end coach Hub Ulrich, freshman mentor Wayne Replogle, and trainer Dean Nesmith.
Replogle, regarded as the finest all-round athlete in College of Emporia history, is the only member of the returnees who did not get his athletic training at KU. He has been on the Jay Hawkower staff for 10 years
Fambrough, a KU football and Orange Bowl star, was graduated from the University in 1947. He entered the KU coach ranks in 1948, serving as freshman line coach under Replogle. The following two years he took charge of the fresh, guiding them to three victories in four games. Since being promoted to the varsity in 1951, he has taken charge of Jayhawker defense. His work has improved Kansas defense by 63.1 yards per game. While playing for Kansas, Fambrough had four-way duties which included manning his regular guard position on offense and defense, playing defensive linebacker, and kicking extra points.
Ulrich is the only man on the staff to carry a double coaching duty. In addition to his duties as end coach, he assumes the role of head coach of the baseball team. Hub captained the 1941 Jayhawker squad and played pro ball with the Miami Seahawks of the now defunct All-American conference in 1946. He is regarded as without a peer as the finest defender and blocker in modern Jayhawker history.
Nesmith began his 16th year as head trainer of all Kansas athletic teams with the advent of football practice. He has become nationally famous as an athletic trainer, having served last year as chairman of the board of directors of the National Collegiate Athletic Trainers association. Nesmith, a former Jayhawker tackle, headed two coaching school courses in the treatment of athletic injuries. During World War II he served overseas with a touring physical education troupe.
Entering the coaching staff on a full-time basis are two Oklahoma grads, Gene Corrott, backfield coach and Dee Andros, offensive line mentor.
Corrotto played wingback under Biff Jones and then Tom Sidham at Oklahoma. He co-captained the conference's first bowl team, the 1938 Sooners who lost to Tennessee in the Orange bowl. Graduated in 1939, he served with head coach Sikes at St. Mary's Pre-flight school as athletic and military officer. Corrotto was highly successful as a high school coach in the Sooner state, his teams
JULES SIKES
winning 73, while losing 22 games and being tied in eight.
One of the finest blocking guards in OU history is Dee Andros, the porky but powerful native of Oklahoma City. Andros was a regular on Bud Wilkinson's 1947, 1948, and 1949 crews and played on three winning Sooner bowl teams. Playing at a 230-pound bulk, he was near tops in intelligence, power, and mobility.
Significant about Andros is the fact that he is the only Wilkinson-coached player who has returned to the "Yankees of Big Seven Football" as a fulltime coach. He earned a BS degree in education in 1950 and a masters degree in administration in 1952 from Oklahoma.
New part-time assistants on Sikes' staff are Merlin Gish, Gil Reich, and Charlie Hoag, all standouts of former Jayhawk grid wars. Gish, a regular linebacker for three years, returns as freshman line coach. The rugged Gish, who finished eligibility last year, owns the distinction of never having lost playing time due to injuries in his football career.
Gil Reich, all-American defensive back on the 1952 Kansas team, doubles as freshman and varsity backfield coach. The cool Pennsylvanian also was a standout on "Phog" Allen's 1952 NCAA runner-up basket ball squad. His brother, Dick, has resigned from West Point to attend KU and will be eligible next fall. Dick Reich was a standout fullback for Army until injuries stopped him last year.
Charlie Hoag, a two-time all Big Seven halfback and holder of the Jayhawk career rushing mark of 1914 yards in three years, rounds out the trio of last year's stars who have returned to the coaching staff. Hoag is working as freshman backfield coach.
Norman, Okla.—(U.F.)-The Oklahoma Sooners Friday cut their practice sessions to one a day—a mark that Coach Bud Wilkinson is not displeased with his squad.
Sooner Workouts Cut to One a Day
Wilkinson told, his footballers if they had a good workout yesterday he'd cross off the morning practice that has had the Sooners humping since training began. Today the new schedule went into effect.
All the squad members were happy over this change, but the happiest of all today was end Bob Benderen of Hitters. Oka, Hin and another of the four players was prompted yesterday from the fourth string all the way up to the varsity.
Two big men in Wilkinson's plans, guard J. D. Roberts and quarterback Gene Calame, will be ready to play against Notre Dame Sept. 26. A specialist took a look at Roberts' injured thigh yesterday. Calame has a bruised shoulder.
Daily hansan
LAWRENCE, KANSAS—SEC. B
Monday, Sept. 14, 1953
Jayhawk Grid Squad Faces Tough Season
Coach J. V. Sikes' 1953 grid squad will face a tough 10-game schedule this season, with very few of the games listed in the pushover class.
Texas Christian:
It will be a new type of TQU team that Kansas opens its season against Sept. 19 at Fort Worth under the lights. Former head coach L. R. "Dutch" Meyer has retired to the job of athletic director, and the new head coach, Othol Martin, formerly Meyer's assistant, has retired the famous Meyer spread formation in favor of the more popular T.
TCU should have a hard hitting backfield, with returning lettermen like Jordan Haskins and back Ronald Fraley leading the way. Univ. of California at Los Angeles:
With 20 of last year's 35 lettermen returning, the Horned Frogs will be able to place experienced men in every position but the ends. The graduation of four top flight wing-men leaves the Frogs with only one experienced man, 200-pound Johnny Crouch, at that position.
Picked by sports writers as one of the top teams in the nation this season, the UCLA Bruins probably will be one of the Jayhawkers' stiffest challenges. The game is scheduled Sev. 25.
The Bruins missed a Rose Bowl bid last season, by two points when Southern California edged them 14 to 12 in the final game of the season, and they have most of their power back, including all-American candidate Paul Cameron at left halfback. One man the Uclans will miss this
Picked for last place in the conference in the sports writers' preseason poll, the Iowa State Cyclones should provide one of the easier opponents on the schedule. Date of game, Oct. 3.
Coach Abe Stuber's squad is low on depth with only 23 lettermen returning. The Cyclones are particularly weak at the tackle spot, where five experienced men were lost through graduation.
Colorado:
Although ranked fifth in the preseason ratings, Colorado could well provide one of the surprise teams of the 1953 season. With 19 seniors returning to action, all but three of them with considerable experience, Coach Dal Ward may produce a top contender in the Oct. 10 fray.
The Golden Buffaloes have pretty good depth in most of the line positions, and several good men in the backfield. Track ace Carroll Hardy is an ever-present threat at halfback, who lives up to pre-season billing, looks to be one of the best backfield newcomers in the conference.
One thing that must always be taken into consideration concerning Colorado is that they are hard to
beat on their home field at Boulder because of the altitude. The Jay-hawkers go out to Boulder this year for their game.
Oklahoma
The Sooners again loom as the team to beat in the Big Seven conference race. Coach Bud Wilkinson has never lost a conference race, and it looks like he has the personnel to repeat this year in the Oct. 17 contest.
Buddy Leak, who was outstanding at halfback last year, has been named to take over the quarterback spot, and has looked very good so far on the "keeper" plays off the split T. Besides that he can run and pass very well, as he has demonstrated in the last two seasons.
One thing in the Jayhawkers' favor in their tilt with the Sooners at Norman this year is the Sooner schedule up to that time. On consecutive Saturdays preceding the Oct, 17 game, Oklahoma takes on Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Texas. Southern Methodist:
With a new and practically unknown coach in major college circles, and an impressive array of returning veterans, SMU may come out this year with as impressive a team on the field as they have had on paper for the last two years.
Head coach Chalmer Woodard, former Lawrence High and McPherson college coach, has switched the Mustangs over to the T formation, and they looked good indeed in spring practice. The SMU-KU game is Oct. 21.
Nebraska:
With a large number of experienced veterans returning this season, the Cornhuskers loom as one of the big question marks in the Big Seven conference race. Game date: Oct 31.
Coach Eill Glassford has switched from the T to the single wing, and hopes that two teams to power quarterbacks. If he powers to swim.
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CO-CAPTAINS—Bob Hanlta, left, and Morris Kriot the tough assignment of leading the 1953 Jahe
The Old Students
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The paid, end Morris Kay, who is making a comeback after being strucken by polio last year, and two all-railers, Nathan Hantla, guard, are expected to lead the team from their respective positions.
Kay appeared in only three games for the Jayhawkers last season before he was stricken, but in those three games he showed a game of defense which left, little to be desired. If he can come through on offense as he did on defense, Kansas will have its best all-round end in modern history. Kay, a senior from St. John, has earned two letters; his first at fullback in 1951, and his second at end last season.
Last year he teamed with Don Bracelin, a tough defensive end from St. Francis, when the opposition had the ball. With Kay at left end and
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With little promise of an ENGRAVING standing season, Hantla and Ka along with other outstanding linemen, may be able to show the way for Kansas' inexperienced backs. Head coach J. V. Sikes admits he has a good line and a good defense, but victory depends on the scoring ability of a backfield.
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