Friday, Nov. 9, 1956
University Daily Kansan
Page 13
—(Daily Kansan photo)
NOW, IF WE MOVE HIM HERE — Basketball Coach Dick Harp, who is starting his first year as head coach of the Jayhawkers, and Jerry Waugh,
assistant coach, use a miniature basketball court and chessmen to figure out plays for the Jayhawkers.
Dick Harp To Guide KU's Basketball Hopes
It was his guarding of Ralph Vaughn, Southern California's All-American forward, that played a major role in the Jayhawker's upset 43-42 victory over the Trojans in the Western division finals in Kansas City. Vaughn scored but two field goals that night.
Held Vaughn
Dick Harp, KU's first rookie basketball coach in 36 years, steps into the head coaching job at a time when Kansas basketball may reach great heights.
Harp rates these two events as a
Assistant to Forrest C. (Phog) Allen for seven seasons Harp is not entirely inexperienced as a head coach. He coached at William Jewell College at Liberty, Mo. for two years before coming to Kansas.
He led the Jayhawkers to the Western NCAA championship that year with a long two-hander in the final 30 seconds of the game that nipped Oklahoma A&M 54-53.
Known for his handling and developing of players, Coach Harp hasn't always watched the game from the bench. In 1940 he was co-captain of KU's NCAA second place finishers, playing at guard.
He has played a strong hand in recent Jayhawker successes. These include winning outright or sharing four of the last seven Big Seven titles, winning one NCAA tournament, and finishing second in another.
tossup as to which was the biggest thrill of his playing days for Kansas.
Highlight of his coaching career was his experience with the KU national championship team of 1952, which went on to help the United States capture the Olympic cage crown.
Nebraska beat Kansas 19-14 in 1955 at Lincoln.
Over 14,000 fans turned out to see the Harp-coached, Chamberlain-led freshman crew outplay the varsity and win by a score of 81-71 last year. Harp's future doesn't look too dim. One national basketball publication has rated the Jayhawkers as the top team in the country and two others place Kansas in the No. 2 position.
Hopes To Reach National Finals. Coach Harp isn't quite that optimistic although he wouldn't mind going to the national finals his freshman season as head coach.
"We're going to have a tough time in our own conference," he said. He cited Kansas State and Iowa State as the teams that will give his Kansas team a fight to the end.
"If we win the Big Seven championship it's going to be real tough at the Dallas (NCAA West Regional playoffs at Dallas, Tex., March 15 and 16) regional. The
Former Cage Star Returns To Coach At Alma Mater
(Continued on Page 14)
A former KU captain and coach for five years at two Kansas high schools begins his college coaching career onight as assistant basketball coach o Dick Harp.
He is Jerry Waugh, known as "The Sheriff of Sumner County," for his outstanding defensive play as a college performer.
The only games he missed were against Emporia State Teachers College when Coach Forrest C. Allen started the game with his second team and two others because of injury.
Waugh played for KU teams from 1948 to 1951. He scored 562 points in his career and started 82 out of a possible 85 varsity games, which probably a record in the Big Seven.
His outstanding traits during his college career other than defensive play were sportsmanship and team leadership.
Played With Lovellette
Played With Lovellette Waugh was quick to answer when asked what his biggest thrill in college basketball was.
"It was playing with such boys is Clyde Lovellette, Gene Peterson, Bob Kenney, and Claude Houchin," he said.
He stopped playing varsity ball at the semester break of his senior year in 1951 because he had used up his eligibility.
"I went out for the team the second semester of my freshman year
but never dressed for any games," he said. "Freshmen could play for the varsity that year."
After graduation from high school Waugh entered the service as a paratrooper. He entered KU in the spring semester of 1948.
As a physical education major Waugh said he had thought of someday coming back to KU as a coach.
"I think most physical education majors who play a college sport hope to come back some day," he said.
After graduation Waugh coached basketball at Emporia High School for three years before moving to Lawrence High in 1954. At Emporia he had no outstanding teams but did guide the 1953-54 edition to the semi-finals in the state tournament.
Coached Lawrence To Title
Waugh said this year's freshman team does not measure up to last season's outstanding club but, "there are several boys who will help us out in the future."
He coached the Lawrence Lions to a tie for the Northeast Kansas League title, its first championship since 1948.
Comparing KU's 1952 Olympic team with the Jayhawker's current squad, Waugh said this season's team, with a fine group of sophomores, is a great team in potential but it has a long way to go before it will compare with the 1952 club.
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