Santa has come?
By ROBERT STEVENS UDK Managing Editor
Christmas came early—exactly 22 days—to Jack Mitchell this year, thanks to the KU Athletic Board and Chancellor W. Clarke Wescoe.
After about six hours of secret deliberation last Saturday, these people turned "Scrooges" and presented him with a reported $66,000, gift-wrapped in four separate packages. Unfortunately, they did not share their decision or "goodies" in the best of Christmas traditions.
In fact, it sounded too easy. "It was the board's recommendation." Wade Stinson answered. "They acted as a unit," he said when he was asked if it was upon his recommendation.
Together, they voted and agreed to give Mitchell a contract "mutually satisfactory to both Mitchell and the Athletic Board."
Although it seems both parties agreed to terms, Mitchell did not hesitate to call the situation "entirely untolerable." Overall, Mitchell received a "switch in his stocking" somewhere along the line. And he has good reason not to forget it.
So why did the KU Athletic Board and Chancellor Wescoe recommend that Mitchell be replaced?
The only people in a position to truthfully answer that question are the silenced members of the Athletic Board, the Chancellor, and Mitchell—none of them are talking.
During the past few years, Mitchell was fighting more than one battle at the same time. If he wasn't sparring with the Chancellor, there was the "he can't coach" image being built among the football fans. He would not have scored too high in a popularity poll
In some places, when Mitchell was mentioned, it was met with about the same enthusiasm as King Faisal of Saudia Arabia received from New York's Mayor Lindsay and the Jewish population last summer.
Early this week, The Topeka Daily Capital speculated that round one started in 1960 with Chancellor Wescoe, when Bert Coan made banner headlines. At the time, Coan was declared ineligible after accompanying Bud Adams, a wealthy oilman from Houston, Texas, to the All Star Game.
As a result, KU forfeited the final two games of the season.
More trouble resulted with the following episode. Informed sources said Wescoe told Stinson, when he was hired in 1964, that he being paid with the idea of not being pushed around by coaches in the KU Athletic Department.
Many feel this brought the departure of first Dick Harp and then the controversial Bill Easton, in Stinson's first two years.
Stinson was hired to balance the budget. It was believed that C.A. "Dutch" Lonborg, the former athletic director, was just too easy going.
Then there were those eager fans in the stands. You know, the ones who play the second-guessing game and the "I told you so" after the game is over. They put all the blame on Mitchell.
Two other incidents marred Mitchell's image during his career here:
- Kansas played Missouri nine times and lost six. Two games were tied and one forfeited due to the Coan incident.
- With Sayers, KU won five and lost five in 1963. The next year they bettered their record by one.
However, Sayers did make All America both of those years. Just how many juniors and seniors receive such an honor in college? How could he do any better? But as it turned out, Sayers went on to play with the big beef of the Chicago Bears, under the guidance of George "Pappy" Halas. In his first year he was named Rookie of the Year and scored 22 touchdowns.
It may be very difficult to maintain and rebuild the house that Jack built. Now the pressure is on Wade Stinson, who takes orders from the Chancellor. He is now scurrying around the country, at least by telephone, to find the man to replace Mitchell.
Jack Mitchell was a great guy. He bubbles with enthusiasm. He has an engaging personality. To several of his players, he was a second father. He never refused to help others. He was the all around "nice guy."
One of his adopted sons was John Haddl, who now plays for the San Diego Chargers in the American Football League. Now a first string quarterback, he came to KU as a halfback.
Contacted by telephone at his home in San Diego, he said the greatest thing Mitchell did for him "was to change me from half to quarterback. He taught me a great deal about how to handle the ball and the team, and to call certain plays on certain downs."
Hadl did not feel that Mitchell was too soft or too tough. "He was always able to get the most out of his players. He has a tremendous attitude even when we didn't have as much talent," Hadl said.
Yet Mitchell's number one talent was recruiting. Something which has come to a standstill until Stinson can find a man to continue building the house.
"Recruiting was his biggest asset outside of coaching." Hadl said. "I went with him several times—he still maintains a tremendous enthusiasm. If Jack hadn't come to me I would have gone to Oklahoma."
But Christmas has come; Mitchell is gone; Stinson searches on. And "Lo, a new star may shine in the East," but where is it?
Search is on
Recruiting stalls
Football recruiting is "pretty much at a standstill" according to Wade Stinson, director of athletics.
By WILL HARDESTY
This is due primarily to the lack of a head football coach. (See related story, this page.)
Although there will be a definite loss, this loss may not be insurmountable, in the opinion of those interviewed.
MIKE REEVES, Concordia freshman, had over 100 schools after him.
"I decided to come to KU in about April or May. I think if a man has a lot of schools after him, he will take his time in deciding where to go."
Dave Bouda, Omaha, Neb., junior, thinks different athletes make up their minds in different ways.
"I came to KU because I like the chem and science departments. I think an athlete who is a student will look at a school for its academics. An athlete interested primarily in football will look at the team, the coach, the record."
SANDY BUDA, Omaha, Neb., senior, doesn't believe the lack of head coach will hurt KU "a lot."
★ ★ ★ ★
"Naturally, it will hurt KU a little, but on the whole, kids will wait to make up their minds. However, other schools are going to try to take up the slack while KU is coachless.
"You can't sign a letter of intent until after the first of February sometime, so I'd say most of those being recruited will wait until late January to make up their minds."
Bill Wohlford, Geneseo senior,
thinks KU's loss depends on how
long it takes to get a new coach.
"I DON'T THINK not having a coach will make too much difference. We can hold Kansas okay, but, nationally, it all depends on the interim. If we get a coach appointed and he is organized to recruit by January, we'll be okay."
"Decisions are made during late January and early February. That's when it's crucial to have a good recruiting program."
Bennie Lee, assistant football coach, was short and to the point. "Time lost can't be regained."
Al Woolard, Lawrence High School head football coach, thinks "the assistant coaches are making contacts and studying films. KU will be behind—but the rest of the state will be, too. Nobody else has a coach.
WANT to go all along. Sometimes a super recruiter will talk them into going someplace they don't want to, but then they will drop out or transfer."
"Coach Woolard, would you accept the head football coaching job at KU if it were offered to you?"
"Many, many years ago, I decided I didn't want to be a college coach. Since then, I've had many chances to apply at colleges and have even received some outright offers. However, up until this time, I've stayed out of the collegiate coaching field."
"BASICALLY, HIGH school seniors all know where they
Athletes smarter
KANSAS CITY, Mo.—(UPI)— The Big Eight Conference says its athletes are getting smarter.
Wayne Duke, conference commissioner, said a study on academic standards prepared with the assistance of Dr. Fred Brown of Iowa State University showed a trend toward higher academic standards at Big Eight schools.
"He'll have to have a good philosophy towards football, towards life, towards young men and towards the academic community."
"I'm looking for 'the man'—not particularly the head coach someplace else. He doesn't have to have a fantastic record of success.
Stinson searches for coach
"The ones that are really interested are going to come in and see me.
6 Daily Kansan Friday, December 9, 1966
"There are about nine or ten from head coaches at major institutions, several others from head coaches at small schools and applications from some top assistant coaches."
"BEFORE CHRISTMAS" is the goal for his decision on the new man. Stinson said.
The latest development in the hunt for a head football coach is a petition from 61 members of the football team.
They submitted the name of Don Fambrough, assistant football coach, to Wade Stinson, director of athletics, for further consideration.
Stinson said he has received 40 applications for the football coaching job. Of these, 15 came in yesterday.
Stinson said the petition was submitted "expressing the hope and the desire" that Fambrough would be named to the post.
Sandy Buda, Omaha, Neb., senior and one of the circulators of the petition, said it was circulated to "let Stinson know we like and respect Fambrough and think he would do a good job."
THE OTHER circulators were Bill Wohlford, Geneseo senior, and Jerry Barnett, Wichita senior.
Stinson said Barnett told him that those who signed the petition "realize it may not help much, but we want to express our feelings toward him (Fambrough)."
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