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University Daily Kansan
Friday. Nov. 9,1956
Fielding 'Hurry Up' Yost Tops Lists Of KU Coaches
It's often said that many a football game is won or lost in that brief interval that the coach talks to the players during the half. What type of person does it take to regenerate the spirit in a losing team or maintain the spirit in a winning eleven?
A coach has to be a combination of wet nurse, dad, and psychologist to inspire his players to a high competitive level.
Football was initiated at KU in 1880. While the team only played three games that season, it had an over abundance of head coaches.
Three men, according to the records, were head coach for the first KU football team. Prof. Carruth of the German department, Dr. E. M. Hopkins of the English department, and Will Coleman were the coaches.
First Undefeated Season In 1899
Perhaps KU's most famous coach was Fielding "Hurry Up" Yost. Coach Yost appeared on the KU scene in 1899. That year he led the Jayhawkers to their first undefeated and untied season. Coach Yost left KU after one successful season to guide the University of Michigan's football team. While there he earned the reputation of being the "great winner" of early collegiate football.
From 1904 to 1911 A. R. Kennedy took over the coaching job. In Kennedy's seven seasons at KU he compiled a record total of 53 wins, nine losses, and four ties.
From 1911 to 1922 seven coaches came and left the scene. Dr. Forrest C. "Phog" Allen took over the football coaching position in 1822. While under Allen's leadership for a season, the team compiled a 5-2-1 record.
Tennis Team Hopes Good
With four returning lettermen, this year's KU tennis team is already established as one of the favorites for the Big Seven title.
Lettermen returning from last year's squad are Bob Riley, Gene Kane and Bruce Wenger, seniors, and Del Hadley, junior. Although not starters, team members returning include Roger Alberty, Phil Rein and Jim Whittaker, seniors, and Bob Peterson and Jim Schultz, juniors.
Riley is the 1956 Big Seven singles winner and after two years of competition has a 19 win, 3 loss record. Pushing Riley will be Gene Kane, who played the number three position last year. Kane possesses one of the best backhands in the Big Seven conference and combined with great spirit could give KU another consistent point winner.
Del Hadley will be returning with two years of competition under his belt. Hadley, although sometimes unsteady with his serve, possesses a good net game and a good forehand and backhand, and will give the Javhawkers added depth.
Bruce Wenger, although not lettering in 1956, played the number four position for KU. Wenger will be a serious contender for that position again this year and could possibly move up.
One of the teams that could prevent KU from winning the Big Seven this year is Oklahoma. The Sooners finished in second place last year two points ahead of KU, and have their entire starting team returning.
The Sooners and the Jayhawkers were tied going into the last afternoon of play when the Sooners swept the vital two points necessary to finish ahead of KU.
Colorado, with five seniors in their starting lineup, won the Big Seven last year. The Buffers, however, are not expected to be contenders this year.
Six Students Aid Mather
Aiding Coach Mather this year are six graduate assistants. They are Al Gebert, Don James, Dick Reinking, Mike Rogers, Dick Reich and Don Clements. Gebert and Reich are helping with the varsity and the others are working with the freshmen.
Pete Elliott, NU's head football coach, set an all-time record at the University of Michigan as an undergraduate when he earned 12 letters, four in football, four in basketball and four in golf.
George "Potsy" Clark was named head coach in 1923. He remained with the Jayhawks for five seasons. He later became famous for his coaching ability at the University of Nebraska.
Cannon Moved to Princeton
Franklin Cappon was next in line for the coaching position. He later became a football and basketball coach at Princeton.
Ad Lindsey, a former star footballer at Kansas, took over as head coach in 1932. He coached the team until 1939.
Thin material because of the war held down the Jayhawker's football teams until George Sauer appeared in 1946. Sauer coached the first of Kansas' postwar teams. KU was co-champion of the Big Six in 1946-47. In 1948 the Jayhawkers went to the Orange Bowl. They lost to Georgia Tech 20-14.
J. V. Sikes took over in 1948 and produced good teams until thin material once again hampered KU's eleven.
Coach Chuck Mather is now leading KU's eleven along the football trail. For the past three years Mather has been rebuilding the Jayhawkers.
Pete Elliott Heads Nebraska
Peter Elliott, 23rd coach at the University of Nebraska since football was started there in 1890, is in his first year as head coach for the Cornhuskers. At 29, he is the youngest coach to guide the Nebraskans.
Elliott set an all-time record at Michigan University as an undergraduate when he earned 12 letters. four in football, four in basketball and four in golf.
As a junior he quarterbacked Michigan's 1947 team to a 49-0 shellacking of Southern California in the 1948 Rose Bowl game. In 1948, Elliott's senior season, Michigan won the national championship and had an all-victorious season.
Elliott started his coaching career at Oregon State as an end coach. He then moved to Oklahoma, where he served five years as assistant coach under Bud Wilkinson. There he built up a fine reputation as a coach of both backs and linemen.
While at Oklahoma Elliott doubled as golf coach. His 1953 Soomers won the Big Seven title and tied for the crown in 1955. In 1952 Elliott broadened his football background even more by serving as guest coach at the University of Mexico's spring football practice.
In 1947 he called signals for his brother Chalmers (Bump) Elliott, All-American wingback at Michigan and now an assistant coach at Iowa.
One of the hardest working men at the University is E. L. Falkenstien, athletic business manager who celebrates his 25th year at KU this fall.
Athletic Business Manager Kept Busy With Ticket Sales
He is in charge of all ticket sales for all athletic events at KU and the Big Seven indoor track meet and pre-season basketball tournament, both in Kansas City. Besides the sale of tickets, he is responsible for getting the tickets printed, sending out publicity material on the tickets, and keeping the books balanced.
Mr. Falkenstein's work keeps him busy six days a week and often at night during the football season. He supervises an office staff of five.
Another of his many jobs gives him a chance to see football games. He arranges for transportation and hotel accommodations for the football team and makes all trips. He hasn't missed since 1937. He rarely sees a home game except in brief glimpses as his duties around the ticket office keep him occupied.
Since moving into Allen Field House, the ticket office facilities have been enlarged and represent quite an improvement from the old headquarters in Robinson Gymnasium
Job Never Dull
He likes his work because "there is always something changing and the job never falls into a routine. About the time you get some procedure memorized, a new and better way is found so you start all over again."
The job has become more time consuming, Mr. Falkenstien said, with the building of Allen Field House. It used to be that once football was over, most of the work was done for the year. Now the job doesn't slack off until after the basketball season.
"The building of the field house has brought other changes," he said. "When we were playing basketball in Hoch Auditorium, we had to discourage people from going to the games because of the limited number of seats. Now, we are advertising more to fill up the huge field house as often as possible."
It was sold out only once last year, against Kansas State, he said. This year, with the expectation of a great team and with Wilt Chamberlain as the central attraction, the field house should be filled several times, he said.
Turnpike Will Help Attendance
The turnpike should help, he pointed out. The ticket office has received a greater number of ticket requests from Wichita and surrounding areas than ever before because of the speed and ease of getting here
Reflecting on the difference in ticket prices since he has been on the job, Mr. Falkenstien said the base price of the ticket has remained pretty much the same but the federal and state taxes have gone way up.
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C thin at and Jay sin