op THE MICHIGAN DAIJLY PAGE S light Coaching Staff Compiles Outstanding Athletic Man EI By HANK KEISER A glance at the record will reveal that Michigan's athletic teams have, on the whole', piled up long strings of victories as against relatively few de- feats. These continuous successes of Maize and Blue sportsmen can be at- tributed to the fact tnat the Wol- verines have.had tine good fortune to be blessed with coaches who are experts in their respective fields- men who know their business. Everyone at Michigan knows the name of Herbert Orin (Fritz) Cris- ler, nationally famous Wolverine football mentor, but the men who direct Maize and Blue crews in other sports are seldom heard of outside of Ann Arbor, or the confines of var- ious Michigan Alumni clubs. Fisher's 26 Years Nevertheless, the performances of the teams these men have tutored are ample testimony to their unpubli- cized coaching ability. A look at some of the "greats" on the Wolverine athletic staff proves this point. First, Ray L. Fisher, dean of West- ern Conference baseball mentors, is outstanding. In his 26 years with Michigan, his teams have chalked up 439 victories, as against 188 defeats and, in addition, Fisher-coached squads have brought home 10 Big Ten championship crowns. Develops Major Leaguers An outstanding teacher and devel- oper of individual stars, more than two dozen of his boys have been of sufficient calibre to play Major Lea- gue ball. Dick Wakefield, Detroit Tiger ace, is the most famous, while teams have walked away with 15 Big the latest addition to the Big League ranks are Elmer Swanson and Bruce Blanchard, who signed with the De- troit Tigers last Spring. Fisher has served a long appren- ticeship in both college and profes- sional athletics. He gained fame in his youth pitching for the Middle- bury College nine, as well as handling the fullback assignment on that school's grid squad. Vermont School Teacher' While still in school, he pitched for Hartford in the Connecticut League and, upon graduation, was signed by the New York Highlanders, forerunners of today's Yankees. Fish- er kept in touch with the educational field during this time, teaching at Springfield Academy and Newton Military Academy, which caused him to be dubbed the "Vermont school teacher." He served with the Army Air Corps in 1918 and joined the Cincinnati Reds in 1919. remaining with them for two years. In 1921, Fisher came to Michigan, where for two and a half decades he has coached base- ball teams, only three of which have finished under the .500 mark. - Turning to the cinder path, Coach J. Kenneth Doherty is the man re- sponsible for recent Wclverine suc- cesses in that department. In his seventh year as Michigan's head track coach, his teams have won seven out of a possible 14 Western Conference indoor and outdoor cham- pionships. La;;t season, the Maize and Blue trackmen under Doherty's direction were nosed out by a powerful Illinois squad by 2/3 of a point in a photo- finish fight for the Big Ten indoor title. Doherty first gained fame at the College of the City of Detroit, now Wayne University, where he compet- ed in the shotput, javelin, high jump, broad jump, hurdles, and pole vault. In 1928, he won the National Olym- pic Decathlon tryouts, and went on to capture third place at the Amster- dam Olympics, with a point total of 7,600-nine points short of the then world's record. In 1929, he set a new National AAU record in the Dec- athlon, chalking up 7,784 points. That same year, he joined the Prince- ton University coaching staff as track assistant, and came to Michigan the following season. Under the expert tutelage of coach Matt Mann, Michigan swimming teams have walked away with 15 Big Ten championships in the past 22 years. Mann, who is recognized as cne of the best swimming men in the country, has developed Maize and Blue tank squads which have amass- ed a total of 158 victories in dual meets, while dropping only 18 of these clashes. Born in Leeds, England, the ami- able gent distinguished himself by pionship for boys at the age of 16. winning the English freestyle cham- FISHER.... 26 Years. MANN ... 22 Years. Hoyt, Builder' Of Cindermen, Ends Career By JACK MARTIN The news that Charlie Hoyt, who coached Wolverine thinclads from 1931 to 1940, had resigned his posi- tion at Yale, and now appears to be going into 'permanent retirement, brought many a memory to the minds of Michigan men, both in and out of the sports world. 'Golden Era' Begins It was with Charlie Hoyt's arrival at Michigan that the so-called "gold- en era" of Wolverine track began. During his nine-year stint as head coach, he compiled the unusual rec- ord of capturing 13 Big Ten cham- pionships out of a possible 18. Up to that time Conference crowns had been rather scarce for Michigan thinclads. He led the Wolverines to the crown in his very first championship meet as head coach, the indoor conference of 1931, and went on to take twelve more firsts. At no time during the. nine years did a Michigan squad place lower than third; they finished in the show spot only two times, grabbing second place the remaining three. Develops Individual Stars The individual track stars develop- ed by Coach Hoyt form a roll-call of some of Michigan's greatest all- time athletes. Ed Russell started the list with a brilliant career as a quarter-miler. In 1931 he blazed through a 440 in 47.6 which stood until Warren Breidenbach snapped it. Ned Turner was another stand-out of the early Thirties molded by Hoyt. He climaxed his career by taking a fifth for the United States in the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. In the middle Thirties Hoyt devel- oped a trio of the best track-men ever seen in the Middle West. Sprint- er Sam Stoller engaged in a series of duels with the famed Jesse Owens in 1935-36, and then in 1937 cap- tured the National Collegiate 100- yard championship. In 1937 Bab Osgood came along to flash through a set of 120-yard high hurdles in .14 seconds fiat to set a Big Ten mark which has not .yet been equalled. The immortal Bill Watson com- pleted the triumvirate of stars. He heaved the shot put 54 ft 61/2 in. to chalk up a Conference record that still stands in the books. Coach Hoyt's last gift to the Mich- igan track scene was Ralph Schwarz- kopf, BENNIE THE PASSER: End Star Oosterbaan Shone As Part-Time Backfield Ace Appointment of Bennie Oosterbaan as Michigan's backfield coach, on the surface seems something like naming Ty Cobb to teach defensive infield play, but many an old grad remembers when "Big Ben," one of football's greatest ends, dropped into a Michigan backfield. It was in 1927 that All-American Bennie, generally regarded as one of the greatest pass-receiving ends in football history, teamed up with halfbaclLou Gilbert to form a reversable passing combination that sparked a mediocre Wolverine elevent to a successful season. Oosterbaan's outstanding performance as a part time half-back came as a part of the dedication ceremonies of the University of Michigan Stad- ium, when an underdog Wolverine squad trounced Ohio State, 21-0, with Bennie throwing two forwards and one lateral pass to Gilbert to account for all the scoring. Later that same season, Oosterbaan added punting to his already replete repertoire of football accomplishments. Despite Conference set- backs by Illinois and Minnesota, Oosterbaan was selected to the mythi- cal All-American team for the third successive season. The 1927 loss to Minnesota wrote finis to Oosterbaan's brilliant col- lege careen. A powerful Gohper squad, featuring line smashing Herb Joesting and a sophomore tackle named "Bronco" Nagurski, came to Ann Arbor and eked out a 13-7 win. Oosterbaan turned in one of the standout defensive performances of his career and was a large factor in keeping the game close. He also scored Michigan's lone touchdown, taking a forward pass for the score. In his sophomore and junior seasons, Oosterbaan played out in front of Benny Friedman and together they made up what is generally considered one of the greatest passing combinations football has ever produced. He joined lrhe Wolverine coaching staff in 1928 as freshman football coach. He was later named varsity end coach. This new move into the back- field for Oostebaan differs from the periodic switches in 1927 in that it is now a full time job. -4 ART VALPEY SPORTS TRAVELER: Valpey Runs Athletic Gamut-; Player, Grid Scout, End Coach By HAROLD COOK Art Valpey, recently appointed end coach, is the possessor of a highly- colorful athletic career, including honors as a prep star, three-letter man at Michigan, and four years in the high school coaching field before joining the Wolverine staff in 1942. It was an auspicious start for the new Michigan scout, when the Wol- verines dumped Notre Dame 32-20, as Valpey's reports of the Irish eleven had obviously paid dividends. He also scouted the South Bend crew in 1943 when the National champions downed the Maize and Blue, 35-12. Other teams scouted by Art have included Illinois, Northwestern, Pur- due, Minnesota, and Army. Incidentally, the West Point aggregation will be closely watched by Valpey in three games this fall prior to the Cadets' invasion of Ann Arbor. Valpey said that Army "had at least six scouts at each Michigan game last year." The appointment of Valpey to end coach will not break up the Michigan scouting team, however, as the Ernie McCoy, Bill Barclay, and Valpey coma bination will remain intact. Although he attended twenty-one schools in seventeen states before reaching high school age, Valpey settled in Dayton, Ohio for his prep days. As a member of Steele High's sensational football squad which lost but two tilts in three years, Valpey climaxed a brilliant high school career by being selected on the All-State eleven as a half-back in 1934. His athletic prowess was not confinedto the giridiron, however, as he also starred on the track and' basketball teams. In recognition of his outstanding athletic and scholastic achievements, Valpey was awarded the Dayton Alumni Memorial Scholarship and con- tinued his education here at the University. The highly-touted prep star was switched to end and earned three letters as a member of the Wol- verine elevens of 1935-36-37. Following graduation froma the University, Valpey launched a success- ful four-year high school coaching career in Ida, Manchester, and Midland before being recalled to his .alma-mater in 1942 as a scout and assistant football coach. Mann came to America in 1906 a took his first coaching job at Sy cuse, where he served until 1910. After coaching at Harvard, New York Athletic Club, and Y he came west and served with Duluth Boat Club and the Det: Athletic Club. Still Going Strong Mann's debut at Michigan dur the 1924-25 season was highligh by a dual meet record of five w and no losses, and a third place the Conference championship cc petition. In 1927, his third y here, his boys registered a perf record of five dual meet victories against no defeats, and copped b the Big Ten and NCAA crowns. In his 22 years at Michigan, 60-year old youngster has develo such stars as Waldemar Tomski Charlie Barker, Conference 50-y freestyle record holders; Jack E ley, Conference breaststroke rec setter, and Gus Sharemet, holder the Big Ten 100-yard freestyle ma A more recent protege is V Church, captain of 1944's crew, v was named the Most Valuable C lege Swimmer" by the College Sw ming Coaches Association at 1945 NCAA meet. Heyliger's Hockey Michigan's ice hockey squads being whipped into shape by Heyliger, former Wolverine star pu ster. Heyliger returned to his a mater last season, for the first t since his gradation in 1937. After leaving 'Michigan, he joie the Chicago Blackhawks play center for them, and, two years la became a member of the athl staff -of the University of Illinois. 1940, the Illini hockey team, ur his direction, captured the Big and Mid-West unofficial titles went on to become national chat --establishing Heyliger as one of top ice mentors in the country. Former Michigan Star Heyliger first played for Michi in 1934 under coach Eddie Low whom he later succeeded. In 1 captaining the Wolverine sextet, distinguished himself at the cei position by establishing a three y intercollegiate scoring record of goals and being named All NJ Western center. Boss of Golfers Bill Barclay, who is present cc of the golf team, is another fors Michigan star, grabbing eight ters from 1935 to '38. His honors cluded two letters in basketball, guard; three in football, as a h back and quarterback, and three golf. He won the Michigan s amateur golf championship in 1 and, after coaching highdsex teams at Davidson, Mich., and Ca lac, Mich., joined his alma mater assistant basketball and foot coach in 1942. BENNIE OOSTERBA ,AN Handyman Roberts Treats Athletes' Ills Ray Roberts is the little-known man with the big job on the Michi- gan grid squad, or, in other words, the hard-working trainer of the team. Roberts first came to Michigan in 1930, and has been here ever since. His career as trainer had its earliest beginnings when he entered the Ar- my during the last war. He was as- signed to the medical corps, and upon completion of the war, because of his Army experience, he was given the job as trainer of the Army's West Point team. He remained at West Point for the next 10 years, until he became trainer for the Wolverine squad. In his 26 years as an athletic train. er, Roberts has come to the conclu- sion that "there is no such thing as a natural athlete." By this he means that no matter how natural an ath- lete appears on the surface, his abil- ity is, in reality, the result of mental and physical conditioning I-_ t , ' !} .". Iat ease.. UTAB.191 ' Ladies like a man who feels at ease in his clothes. And that means clothes that are well-mannered, perfectly fitted, and of a cut which -displays ' twent i/ve his good points without exaggerating a eaPJ i wear them. Stein Bloch cuts and tailors te iAneil in men our clothes just that way. You can OXFORD CLOTHES BURBERRY COATS DOBBS HATS HAMLEY BELTS DANIEL HAYS GLOVES prove it for yourself b rongin for an experimental try-on.-May we suggest that you bring with you a I JOHNSTON & MURPHY SHOES QGPM71T R .,RI IQT-I y{ f '.. ... . w . . w, i.. .. .n. N t r A a M P+ T AP C "Y C' NI'i I