Sunday, April 29, 1956
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Nine
A
~unda. Ap.rl29.9 5TE IClAN DI .Pg.Nn
Perhaps a Little Too Honest
DURING OFF-SEASON CALM, A FRANK LOOK AT A FOOTBALL COACH
By ALAN EISENBERG T went up to his cfice some State, There was much connectedI His simple and philosophical ac- methods or personnel, we are in
Associate Sports Editor time ago, just a few days be- with the bitter loss for which ceptance of defeat was outlined for another disappointing season."
HE motion picture industry, in fore spring practice opened. A pile isosld be shamed. Bit even more sharply when we ttrsnot the point of this article
its tess shalloo attmt gt of haers lk ed ikeihedhsd thought about how other coaches
ithen e stoo atempts to etne patie clutteke he had be the manner in which Oosterbaan had accepted a loss.tWeremem to either defend or attack Ooster-
the inside story of big time foot- poring oei them for a ouple f conducted himself after the game bered Iowa's Forest Evashevski'sbaan's handling of last years
ball, hasonly strengthened the hours. A conversation was soon was indeed noteworthy. He took bitter replies. Murry Warmath's team. One should remember that
begun about the fact that a coach's the loss like a gentleman.R Deport- antagonism, Woody Ha e 'rude there is a great deal more to
Hollywood has depicted the head job iss ayear-round proposition ers crowded around him in the antics. coachin than winning games.
Coach at a large istittitin Of Despite his problems he was dressing room asking questions. He Oosterbaan tries to do what few
higher learning where footbal is smiling ebulliently. We asked why answered them all honestly, never THERE has been much debate other coaches even attempt, Cynics
the maijor interesl o stu c ts, he was so happy. He thought for was he curt. about Oosterbaan's ability to may laugh but he emphasizes other
faculty, andmslunmn , ""ns ont a sccosd. is grin widensed a The coach cominented at one coach. A recent letter to The Daily things besides winning. Building
peotte, arad atorar ire roach is a lst ."I guess it's because you can't point that "it's the nature of the observed that Michigan's 1955 character, playing fairly and hol-
fast talking, fast tri t arac- lose footbalt games in the sprinr," gaie. You have joys and sorrows. team lacked precision, imagina- estly, losing graciously are basic
ee si ad t re-. coierted ruefully. I have had my share of both-and tion, and deception. Blaming this tenants of his coaching method,
He ia slim and "ood tooke re- I can expect the same in the lack on bad coaching the letter And there is no one who will claim
sieeted but not liked. Xe ussrrly HIS COMMENT msarde us think future. Some have to rein and some concluded with: "Barring a revo- that Ben Oosterbaan does not ex-
fiad a ra Sh a u a eo of last year's defeat to Ohio have to lose." lutionary change in coaching cell at this self-imposed task.
--bttwho is assf sjlyudr-I
trrii orni} I rerorrrvr^. r srrl rris, isI~l lr
heath. Most important, perhaps, is
that the coach of the cinema must
be unscrupulous; he will do any-
thing to win the "big game."
AND no doubt some of what the
public thinks and some of whrt
Hollywood creates is true. Football,
at Michigan and many other
'daces, is big business. Winning
teams must be turned out, and
the recruiting of the top high'
school players has become a deli-
cate art. H. O. "Fritz" Crisler, the
'University's Athletic Director and
past coach, has been described as a
man with few friends.
At many other schools the ad-
ministration will go to any length
to procure a winning team. It is
known, for example, that coaches
have given boys scholarships even
if they know the players cannot fit
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-Dary-Jina errze
A displaced
stereotype
into the team's offensive pattern.
The reason? So no other school
which they might help can get
them.
But it is because of people like
Bennie Oosterbaan, who violate'
the stereotype, that Michigan has
gained the reputation she wears so
proudly. He is a coach who points
with pride to the better than 90 %
of his players who graduate, and'
of the many who enter the pro-
fessional world. He is a coach per-
Iraps a little too honest, perhaps a
little too sincere.
In the 30 years Oosterbaan has
been connected with the Univer-
sity, from the time he was an ath-
letic great to his present position,
he has always made Michigank
proud. These are strong words to
use about a man who will probably
not impress you the first time you
meet him.
His clothes are baggy and wrink-
led. The ten-gallon hat is worn at
a rakish angle and looks a bit out
of place. He no longer has the
frame which one associates with
athletes; his stomach has begun
to peek out from beneath his belt,
And when his hat is off his erey,
thinning hair is usually uncombed.
Michigan's Head Coach has a
warm and friendly personality; his
office door is always open, a wide-
open invitation to visitors.
humor-a "must" ingredient in the
battle against ulcers.