Coaches at Chicago

Heartly ("Hunk") Anderson, who lost his job coaching football at Notre Dame following the team's disastrous season, met his successor Elmer Layden at last week's convention of the American Football Coaches' Association in Chicago. Gripping hands heartily they wished each other luck. Hunk Anderson had just signed a three-year contract to coach at North Carolina State. Then they listened to a discussion of how coaches can safeguard their jobs.

Georgia's Athletic Director H. J. Stegman reported that in two southern conferences comprising 23 colleges, there had been no less than 91 football coaches since 1922. He attributed the rapid turnover to six types of coach:

"1) Coaches who did not join the college family ... so that when the crisis arrived the faculty committee could not or was not willing to pull them through.

"2) Coaches who failed to add anything to their communities. The college group was sympathetic but the downtown crowd got them. . . .

"3) Coaches who failed to [place] themselves at the disposal of the unversity administration officials. In such matters as discipline, morale, class attendance and general attitude toward work . . . the university president and the deans were forced to turn to the assistant coaches . . . and the assistant now has the job.

"4) Coaches who suffered from specialization. . . .

"5 ) Coaches who never were courteous to those who were associated with football. . . .

"6) Coaches who took themselves too seriously. They were a pain in the neck to everyone. . . ."

Most coaches at the convention, however, were inclined to blame "unfair" criticism more than their own shortcomings for the abnormal mortality in jobs. On motion of Brown's Coach D. 0. ("Tuss") McLaughry, it was decided that any coach who feels he is discharged unjustly, may appeal to a committee. The committee will investigate, report to the university president, publicize its findings. The committee will be named by the Association's president-elect, Coach Dana Xenophon Bible of Nebraska.

The Chicago convention also discussed rules. Its rules committee, headed by Michigan's Harry Kipke, proposed seven new ones for consideration by the National Football Rules Committee next month. All were designed to open up the college game along professional lines. No coach was willing to endorse all seven proposals, which would: 1) permit forward passes from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage; 2) move the goal posts back to the goal line; 3) abolish the rule which makes the ball dead if any part of the ball-carrier's body other than hands or feet touches the ground; 4) when a ball goes out of bounds, bring it in 15 yd. from the sidelines, instead of 10 yd.; 5) restore the old rule whereby either side may run with a recovered fumble; 6) adopt a "windy day" rule permitting a team within its own 20-yd. line to surrender the ball 25 yd. down the field, rather than kick against the wind; 7) let an incomplete forward pass over the goal line count only as a lost down instead of a touchback (except on fourth down).

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