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Transformation vs Incrementalism
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ChicagoOwl (BS '07) Offline
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Post: #381
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-10-2016 11:40 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  
(02-03-2015 08:11 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(02-02-2015 11:32 PM)Middle Ages Wrote:  
(02-02-2015 11:11 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(02-02-2015 09:19 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Does this mean that the problem cannot be rectified with just on the field results?
Absolutely. Remember the whole conference thing is about money--butts in seats, eyeballs looking at TVs, that sort of thing. Rice athletics deliberately and intentionally did everything humanly possible to alienate its customer base for 40 years. When you do that, you lose customers. I sat there and watched it happen, and it drove me up the wall. Guys like Mike Pede and Steve Moniaci and Jim Harris tried to turn things around, but got hammered down from above.

We could be winning national championships and if we were still running the business side the way we did in the 1970s and 1980s, I don't know that any conference would want us. The SEC was legitimately interested in 1990, but we had to change our ways of doing things. When we went into WAC, a group from the conference office came down and met with Bobby with a list of things that we had to change. We didn't make the changes that either requested (which were essentially the same changes). That as much as anything probably caused us not to get invited to the Denver airport.
I'm sure I can guess, but what were the specific changes requested?
ETA- and who was doing the hammering down from above?

The demands were similar but there were some differences in the SEC and WAC requests as they got filtered down to me. The SEC was more about investing in facilities, whereas I understood the WAC also wanted a major marketing effort. I think the SEC figured that the SEC name would take care of marketing, while the WAC was still trying to build a brand. My recall is not entirely clear, but I got the impression that our people were a bit surprised by the WAC demands, which they had not expected. In the end I think the WAC split was between those who wanted to build the brand and those who were content with the status quo, and we were definitely not perceived as wanting to build the brand. I think the efforts to build the Mountain West brand faltered with the losses of Utah, BYU, and TCU, each of which was more successful in building its own brand than was the league as a whole.

As for the hammering down, that is a bit of a curious issue. All I ever got from discussions with Bobby and his predecessors was that "they" wouldn't let us do things, "they" obviously meaning somebody in the administration, but without ever identifying who "they" were. I think "they" were people in administrative positions between the president and the athletic director in the chain of command, who served as gatekeepers and prevented the flow of ideas and information, but I don't know specifically who they were. I could make some educated guesses, and probably so can you. What's very curious is that I had discussions with several board members over the years, and they all seemed to be wanting the athletic department to come forward with some sort of plan to address issues, basically a plan to do exactly the sorts of proactive things that "they" (whoever they were) were supposedly denying the opportunity to do. To say the least, it was a very curious situation. The board seemed to want a proactive department, and want it very badly, but somewhere between the athletic director and the board was some "they" in middle management who discouraged all attempts to be proactive. Norman Hackerman and Malcolm Gillis both paid lip service to athletics, but both kowtowed to whoever "they" were and did not really go to bat for athletics on the tough issues. Todd Graham broke this cycle by going directly to David Leebron, going around whoever "they" were, and getting things done. This was by far Todd's greatest positive contribution. CDC had a good relationship with David, and David was the first president to go to bat for athletics in a major way. I think the "they" factor got their revenge by hiring Ranger Rick. As with Bo Hagan long before him, I think there is a credible argument that the decision to hire Rick was made by people who wanted to end the athletic program, and who felt that hiring a weak and incompetent AD was the best way to accomplish that. I think David asserted himself with the hiring of JK and I think David will be involved in any further major decisions regarding athletics, and that is a very good thing.

These are subjective impressions based largely upon second and third hand information, and thus may be incorrect. But they are based upon a staggeringly huge amount of such information, and where there is that much smoke I am inclined to believe there must be a fire. Let's just say that this stuff was a constant topic of discussion among insiders in the department for 40 years.

"Losing is okay if you have a good excuse," and, "If you don't know where you are going, the path of least resistance will get you there."

So how are we doing today, August of 2016, with the issues you mentioned in your posts?

Have "they" gone away or been silenced? Are there still things in the way we're running the business side of things under JK's regime that need more work? What are we now doing right that we weren't before? How much of the issues the SEC wanted and the WAC wanted have we addressed so far? What do you see as the top short term and long term priorities as things stand today? Do we know better where we're going these days, and where is that?

and how many people are there in between the president and AD???
08-10-2016 11:57 AM
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Owl 69/70/75 Offline
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Post: #382
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-10-2016 11:40 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  So how are we doing today, August of 2016, with the issues you mentioned in your posts?

Have "they" gone away or been silenced? Are there still things in the way we're running the business side of things under JK's regime that need more work? What are we now doing right that we weren't before? How much of the issues the SEC wanted and the WAC wanted have we addressed so far? What do you see as the top short term and long term priorities as things stand today? Do we know better where we're going these days, and where is that?

I'm not sure that "they" ever actually existed, as opposed to being figments in the imagination of the athletic staff. There were supposedly several administrative types, like university vice-presidents, who acted as gate keepers to prevent any athletic initiatives from moving forward.

I have it on very good authority that at least two athletic directors were told when they were hired that the job was theirs, regardless of results, as long as they didn't make any waves. Bobby was the last of the don't make waves ADs (not saying whether he was one of the ones who was told that, but he had been here so long, and the "Rice way" had become so ingrained, that he simply did it that way). He was by far the most successful of the don't make waves ADs, in large part because he had the knack of hiring good coaches--Fred, Ken, Scott Thompson, Wayne, and others. One thing people may not realize is that except for about a six-month stint, from the time he graduated high school until he retired, Bobby was at Rice. You don't know how many times I've wished that Bobby had spent a few years at Stanford or Duke or Don Canham's Michigan, learning that there were better alternatives than "the Rice way."

I talked a lot with Steve Moniaci and Mike Pede, and they were extremely frustrated because they had some very good ideas that the AD would not move forward with, because "they" would shoot them down. At the same time, I had friends on the Board expressing extreme frustration because the AD would not come to them with a plan to turn things around. It was truly bizarre.

Todd Grahm came in, said f-k this, I'm going straight to Leebron, and did, with an astonishing amount of success and lack of repercussions, considering the history. That plus the Board member comments are reasons why I tend to think that "they" never actually held the power that a succession of ADs attributed to them. CDC had an excellent relationship with Leebron, as I think does JK. In between, I don't think Ranger Rick ever had a clue WTF was going on.

As for the SEC/WAC demands, we still don't have anything remotely approaching what the WAC wanted from a marketing standpoint. From the SEC standpoint, what we did with Tudor was too late and inadequate, what we are doing with Rice Stadium is too late and inadequate, Reckling is probably okay, and track/soccer is totally inadequate.
(This post was last modified: 08-10-2016 06:34 PM by Owl 69/70/75.)
08-10-2016 06:31 PM
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GoodOwl Offline
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Post: #383
Question RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Speaking of transformational-- yeah, I think this one worked out well for us:

https://scholarship.rice.edu/bitstream/h...sAllowed=y
08-11-2016 12:14 AM
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Barrett Offline
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Post: #384
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
GoodOwl,

That is awesome.
08-11-2016 11:42 AM
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75src Offline
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Post: #385
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.

I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

(08-10-2016 06:31 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-10-2016 11:40 AM)GoodOwl Wrote:  So how are we doing today, August of 2016, with the issues you mentioned in your posts?

Have "they" gone away or been silenced? Are there still things in the way we're running the business side of things under JK's regime that need more work? What are we now doing right that we weren't before? How much of the issues the SEC wanted and the WAC wanted have we addressed so far? What do you see as the top short term and long term priorities as things stand today? Do we know better where we're going these days, and where is that?

I'm not sure that "they" ever actually existed, as opposed to being figments in the imagination of the athletic staff. There were supposedly several administrative types, like university vice-presidents, who acted as gate keepers to prevent any athletic initiatives from moving forward.

I have it on very good authority that at least two athletic directors were told when they were hired that the job was theirs, regardless of results, as long as they didn't make any waves. Bobby was the last of the don't make waves ADs (not saying whether he was one of the ones who was told that, but he had been here so long, and the "Rice way" had become so ingrained, that he simply did it that way). He was by far the most successful of the don't make waves ADs, in large part because he had the knack of hiring good coaches--Fred, Ken, Scott Thompson, Wayne, and others. One thing people may not realize is that except for about a six-month stint, from the time he graduated high school until he retired, Bobby was at Rice. You don't know how many times I've wished that Bobby had spent a few years at Stanford or Duke or Don Canham's Michigan, learning that there were better alternatives than "the Rice way."

I talked a lot with Steve Moniaci and Mike Pede, and they were extremely frustrated because they had some very good ideas that the AD would not move forward with, because "they" would shoot them down. At the same time, I had friends on the Board expressing extreme frustration because the AD would not come to them with a plan to turn things around. It was truly bizarre.

Todd Grahm came in, said f-k this, I'm going straight to Leebron, and did, with an astonishing amount of success and lack of repercussions, considering the history. That plus the Board member comments are reasons why I tend to think that "they" never actually held the power that a succession of ADs attributed to them. CDC had an excellent relationship with Leebron, as I think does JK. In between, I don't think Ranger Rick ever had a clue WTF was going on.

As for the SEC/WAC demands, we still don't have anything remotely approaching what the WAC wanted from a marketing standpoint. From the SEC standpoint, what we did with Tudor was too late and inadequate, what we are doing with Rice Stadium is too late and inadequate, Reckling is probably okay, and track/soccer is totally inadequate.
08-11-2016 03:12 PM
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Owl 69/70/75 Offline
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Post: #386
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-11-2016 03:12 PM)75src Wrote:  Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.
I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1965 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.
08-11-2016 06:37 PM
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texowl2 Offline
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Post: #387
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-11-2016 06:37 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 03:12 PM)75src Wrote:  Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.
I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1940 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.

FIFY
08-12-2016 08:42 AM
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Owl 69/70/75 Offline
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Post: #388
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-12-2016 08:42 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 06:37 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 03:12 PM)75src Wrote:  Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.
I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1940 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.

FIFY

I generally hate the FIFY posts, but I take no exception to this one.
08-12-2016 10:08 AM
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RiceLad15 Offline
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Post: #389
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-12-2016 10:08 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 08:42 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 06:37 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 03:12 PM)75src Wrote:  Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.
I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1940 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.

FIFY

I generally hate the FIFY posts, and I take exception to this one.

FIFY. 05-stirthepot
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2016 10:15 AM by RiceLad15.)
08-12-2016 10:14 AM
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Post: #390
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-12-2016 10:14 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 10:08 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 08:42 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 06:37 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 03:12 PM)75src Wrote:  Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.
I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1940 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.

FIFY

I generally hate the FIFY posts, and I take exception to this one.

FIFY. 05-stirthepot

???
08-12-2016 10:21 AM
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RiceLad15 Offline
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Post: #391
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-12-2016 10:21 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 10:14 AM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 10:08 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 08:42 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 06:37 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1940 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.

FIFY

I generally hate the FIFY posts, and I take exception to this one.

FIFY. 05-stirthepot

???

Just amusing myself on the internet.
08-12-2016 10:26 AM
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Rick Gerlach Offline
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Post: #392
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
(08-12-2016 10:08 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-12-2016 08:42 AM)texowl2 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 06:37 PM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  
(08-11-2016 03:12 PM)75src Wrote:  Bobby May did one thing that saved Rice athletics-he hired Wayne Graham.
I realized one problem when I talked to former chief of accounting for Rice athletics. I mentioned the problems Rice is having in keeping up and he was proud that the athletic budget was kept down to less than 5% of the total university budget. We might have got by on the cheap in the SWC days but it has caught up with us since then.

Agree that hiring Wayne was the best move by any Rice AD between 1940 and probably now.

The problem was that the athletic budget was a net income/loss budget, so generating more revenues would have permitted higher spending, but getting any AD from Bo Hagan through Bobby (yes Bobby) to focus on revenue enhancement was well nigh impossible.

FIFY

I generally hate the FIFY posts, but I take no exception to this one.

You won't, but I will. Rice Stadium was built in 1950, and I assume the AD was involved at some level.
08-12-2016 11:18 AM
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Post: #393
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Rice's very first Athletic Director:

1. Philip Arbuckle (Illinois 1905, U of Chicago 1906), basketball coach, Rice Athletic Director 1912-1924.

Instructor in Physical Education and Director of Athletics; Coach of Football and Baseball.

[Image: 220px-Philip_Arbuckle.jpg] [Image: wrc02934.jpg?sequence=1&isAllowed=y]
1918 Rice Institute basketball team, including Coach Philip Arbuckle.

Philip Hechman Arbuckle not only was Rice’s first coach and Athletic Director, opening with the Institute in 1912. In his 10 years, he also was Rice’s winningest coach. According to official records, Arbuckle’s teams won 48, lost 26 and tied eight for a winning percentage of 58.8%. He had only one losing season…his last in 1923. This tops even Jess Neely’s great record over 27 years (51.4%).

A former University of Illinois football, baseball and basketball player from Illinois farm country where he was born in 1883, Coach Arbuckle took his Ph. B. (Bachelor of Philosophy) from Chicago U. in 1906, studying coaching under one of the greatest, the late Alonzo A. Stagg. By 1908 he had been brought to Southwestern in Georgetown where he turned that pioneer Texas institution’s athletic program completely around in just four years. Going with Rice before the Institute opened in 1912, Arbuckle proved to be not only capable as a coach but a smart salesman. He needed top boys. He recruited them by driving home two points…Rice offered a superior education and Houston offered a wonderful after-life opportunity. In those days when many good athletes were solid students, this pitch won.

He built his squads from only 12 men in 1912, all freshmen, on which he had to play himself to where in his fifth year (1916) Rice got the cream of the high school crop. By then he had beaten Texas A&M and Baylor, and was ready to win over Texas in 1917. Rice challenged for the top in n1916 and 1917 in football and basketball and was making a big move in baseball when World War I disrupted the Arbuckle program.

Coach Arbuckle was not yet 50 years old in 1932 when he died of a heart condition. He was married to Georgia Ruth Curtin who survived him. They had three children – Phil H. Jr. of Houston, H.M. Arbuckle of Clear Lake and Mrs. Joe Russell, Jr., Richmond. Phil and Mrs. Russell attended Rice where one of the coach’s eleven grandchildren, Dorothy Russell of Richmond, was a resident of Brown College. On April 6, 1913, the then Houston Post predicted: “This year Rice has only freshmen. Time is the big keynote. In time, Philip H. Arbuckle…will be the man who put Rice on the athletic map.”

Philip Heckman Arbuckle (September 6, 1883 – June 11, 1932) was a college football coach at Louisiana Tech University and Rice University. From 1912 to 1923, he coached at Rice, where he compiled a 51–25–8 record. His only losing season at Rice came in 1923, which makes him the most prolific football coach in school history. His 1919 team went 8–1, to mark his best season. In 1924, he coached at Louisiana Tech, where he compiled a 1–6–1 record.

Sometimes the first coach is the best and this is the case for the Rice Owls. Phillip Arbuckle coached Rice from 1912-1923 and finished with a 52-31-9 record. He went undefeated in 1913 and only had one losing season out of the 11 with the program. While he did not coach a lot of games, he was still more games over .500 than anybody else in the history of the school.

Arbuckle died in Houston, Texas on June 11, 1932 of a pulmonary embolism caused by subacute bacterial endocarditis.

Biographical details:
Born September 6, 1883
Kingston, Illinois
Died June 11, 1932 (aged 48)
Houston, Texas
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1908–1911 Southwestern (TX)
1912–1917 Rice
1919–1923 Rice
1924 Louisiana Tech
Basketball
1910–1912 Southwestern (TX)
1922–1923 Rice
Baseball
1908–1911 Southwestern (TX)
1913–1917 Rice
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1908–1912 Southwestern (TX)
1912–1924 Rice
Head coaching record
Overall
60–44–14 (football)
13–10 (basketball)
71–75–8 (baseball)
(This post was last modified: 08-28-2016 05:49 PM by GoodOwl.)
08-12-2016 01:35 PM
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GoodOwl Offline
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Post: #394
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Rice Second Athletic Director:

2. John W. Heisman, Head Football Coach and Rice Athletic Director 1924–resigned in 1927

[Image: th?id=OIP.M5f6ae01330b179a97a9c517589ec2...;amp;h=300]

University of Pennsylvania 1892, law.

Heisman’s desire to return to the South (he was then at Washington and Jefferson College, and before that back at his alma mater, Penn) was one of the things that enabled William Ward Watkin to secure his services in the face of the bidding of a dozen other schools.

“Heisman’s first words to Rice students received by telegram on a Tuesday morning in February of 1924: “Greeting to Rice and student body. Everybody roll up sleeves and let’s go”.

The Committee on Outdoor Sports, better known as the Athletic Council, was comprised of three members of the faculty and two alumni representatives of the "R" Association during the past year. William Ward Watkin, H.K. Humphrey and H.E. Bray were the faculty members of the Council, and Dudley Jarvis and LeRoy Bell served as "R" Association representatives." Coaches featured at that time include John W. Heisman (Football), Ernie Hjertberg (Track), F.D. Ashcraft (Basketball, Golf and Tumbling), Joe Bedenk (Baseball), Bill Hale (Freshman Football), and H.O. Nicholas (Freshman Baseball)

John William Heisman (October 23, 1869 – October 3, 1936) was a player and coach of American football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College (1892, 1894), Buchtel College—now known as the University of Akron (1893–1894), Auburn University (1895–1899), Clemson University (1900–1903), Georgia Tech (1904–1919), the University of Pennsylvania (1920–1922), Washington & Jefferson College (1923), and Rice University (1924–1927), compiling a career college football record of 186–70–18. His 1917 Georgia Tech Golden Tornado have been recognized as a national champion.

Heisman was also the head basketball coach at Georgia Tech (1908–1909, 1912–1914), tallying a mark of 9–14, and the head baseball coach at Buchtel (1894), Clemson (1899–1904), and Georgia Tech (1904–1917), amassing a career college baseball record of 219–119–7. He served as the athletic director at Georgia Tech from 1904 to 1919 and at Rice from 1924 to 1927.

Heisman was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1954. The Heisman Trophy, awarded annually to the season's most outstanding college football player, is named after him.

Heisman was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Sara (née Lehr) and Johann Michael Heisman, both German immigrants. He grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania near Titusville, where he played varsity football for Titusville High School in 1884, 1885, and 1886, and was salutatorian of his graduating class. He went on to play football at Brown University (1887–1889) and at the University of Pennsylvania (1890–1891). He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1892.

Heisman coached at Oberlin College in 1892. The Oberlin Yeomen (Independent) in 1892 went 7–0 under Heisman. He later moved to Buchtel College. There he helped make the first of his many permanent alterations to the sport. It was then customary for the center to begin a play by rolling the ball backwards, but this was troublesome for Buchtel's unusually tall quarterback, Harry Clark. Under Heisman, the center began tossing the ball to Clark, a practice that evolved into the snap that today begins every play. Heisman returned to Oberlin in 1894.

Heisman was also a Shakespearean actor off the field and was known for his use of polysyllabic language in coaching. This is exemplified in his speeches, one of which is given here. He was known to repeat this annually, at the start of each season, in order to encourage his team:

“What is this? It is a prolate spheroid, an elongated sphere in which the outer leather casing is drawn tightly over a somewhat smaller rubber tubing. Better to have died as a small boy than to fumble this football."

From 1915 to 1918 Georgia Tech went 30–1–2 and outscored opponents 1611 to 93. The 1915 team was then the greatest in Tech's history. One writer claimed the 1916 team "seemed to personify Heisman." This was the first team to vault Georgia Tech to national prominence. In a game played in Atlanta in 1916, Heisman's Georgia Tech squad defeated the Cumberland College Bulldogs, 222–0, in the most one-sided college football game ever played. Heisman's running up the score against his out-manned opponent was supposedly motivated by revenge against Cumberland's baseball team for running up the score against Tech, 22–0, the previous year with a team primarily composed of semi-pro players, and against sportswriters he felt were too focused on numbers.

After a divorce in 1919, Heisman left Atlanta to prevent any social embarrassment to his former wife, who chose to remain in the city. He picked Bill Alexander as successor and went back to Penn for three seasons from 1920–1922. Most notable perhaps is the 1922 loss to Alabama, the Tide's first major intersectional victory. In 1923, Heisman coached the Washington & Jefferson Presidents, which beat the previously undefeated West Virginia Mountaineers.

Heisman then went to Washington and Jefferson College, before ending his career with four seasons at Rice. Heisman took over the job as Rice University’s first full-time head football coach and athletic director after Phillip Arbuckle in 1924; he was selected by The Committee on Outdoor Sports. His teams saw little success and there was an uproar as he was earning a higher salary than any other Rice faculty member. Rice University would be his last coaching job before he would retire in 1926 to lead the New York Downtown Athletic Club.

Heisman died of pneumonia on October 3, 1936 in New York City. Three days later he was taken by train to his wife's hometown of Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where he was buried in Grave D, Lot 11, Block 3 of the city-owned Forest Home Cemetery.

Biographical details
Born October 23, 1869
Cleveland, Ohio
Died October 3, 1936 (aged 66)
New York, New York
Heisman's Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) (1924–1927)
1924 Rice 4–4 2–2 T–3rd
1925 Rice 4–4–1 1–2–1 5th
1926 Rice 4–4–1 0–4 7th
1927 Rice 2–6–1 1–3 6th
Rice: 14–18–3 4–11–1
Heisman's Total Overall Football Record:
186–70–18
(This post was last modified: 08-12-2016 01:56 PM by GoodOwl.)
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Post: #395
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
*The total enrollment for Rice in 1924 was 1,100 students of which approximately 400 were Freshmen.

The Rice Thresher Extra February 1924:

Famous Grid Mentor To Succeed Arbuckle As Rice Athletic Head

John W. Heisman, veteran athletic director and internationally-known football coach, has been selected by the Committee on Outdoor Sports to succeed Philip H. Arbuckle as Director of Athletics and Head Coach of football at Rice.

Although arrangements have been completed for some time, the official announcement had been delayed pending word from Heisman that he had secured his release from Washington and Jefferson, where he was employed as football coach last season following three highly successful years at the University of Pennsylvania.

William Ward Watkin received a wire from the veteran coach Tuesday morning announcing his release. He immediately sent the following letter to the Thresher:

To The Editor of The Thresher.
My dear Mr. Glenn:
On Behalf of the Committee on Outdoor Sports, I desire to inform you that all final arrangements have been completed pertaining to the selection and appointment of a new director of athletics for Rice Institute.

The committee has sought a man of thorough knowledge and experience and feels its success in securing Mr. Heisman will year by year produce renewed enthusiasm.

Mr. Heisman is president of the Football Coaches of America and was formerly head coach at the University of Pennsylvania, Washington and Jefferson College and Georgia tech at Atlanta. For over twenty years he coached championship southern teams.
Mr. Heisman will call his football men to spring practice immediately with the opening of the third term.

Mr. Heisman is now engaged in deciding with the committee the position of assistants, and an announcement on this subject will be available in a short time.

With sincere hopes that every Rice athlete will be eligible scholastically to start work with the new coach at the beginning of the third term, I am,

Very truly yours,
(Signed) William Ward Watkin.
February 19, 1924.


On March 19, 1926, then Rice Football Coach and Director of Athletics John Heisman wrote the following piece entitled:
“Taking Stock of Our Athletes.”

“Well, here we are back at spring sports—baseball, track, tennis, golf and spring football. Save for the fact that both Coach Hjertberg and myself are pretty well disgusted with the small turnout of Freshmen candidates for track sports, the two athletic fields present daily an impressive appearance of activity that promises at least something for the future.

But long ago I learned that at this time of the year the big job of the Athletic Director is to look closely into what is going on in the way of studies among the athletes at Rice, and I’m back early this spring really more with intent to gather up the scholastic reigns than to crack the athletic whip.

Two years ago this spring, when I first came to Rice, I learned that about fifteen of the more talented footballers were on pro(bation). It proved possible to make that bunch understand that, if they wanted to try for football honors the following fall, they would have to get off that proscribed list. They got down to “cases,” and nearly every man came off, with result that we had a gratifying good team the next fall, despite many adverse conditions.

Last spring when I returned I found a considerably smaller quantity of real material still in college than what we had the year before. Still I unhesitatingly promised the squad that we would turn out a good team if only we lost no more of the men still remaining in college. I explained with care and in detail that there is a price to pay for athletic success, and that each man must learn what that price is and make up his mind to pay it if he would accomplish something worth while on the college athletic field. In the middle of May, after all varsity sports had ended for the year, I left Houston on with no misgivings whatever and in confident expectation that the athletes would come through as they had the previous June exams.

Well, they didin’t—just didn’t.

That’s history now—and so is the story of how terribly handicapped the coaches found themselves last fall when they tried to make a football team out of next to nothing in the way of football talent.

Of last fall’s (1925) team—which finally found itself and learned to fight valiantly even without talent for the game—many will be missing next fall. Murray, McVey, Hart, and Reynolds are already gone, and Williams, Heyck, Kendrick, Winston and others will be gone. Of last year’s squad of about 28 men it is doubtful whether there will be more than ten men on hand—and these constitute practically ALL the footballers of ANY kind there are in college in the present Sophomore and Junior classes. Never anywhere have I heard of such a paucity of football material as this in two whole classes.

Were it not that we had a fine bunch of entering Freshmen last fall our place on the gridiron next season would undoubtedly be with the Junior colleges. That bunch of Freshmen MAY save us—they can if they will. They do look better than usual—not merely on the athletic field but in the classroom as well. They seem to be a steadier, more stable, lot than we have been finding in the Freshman class. As a plain fact, just ONE likely footballer among them has thus far absolutely fizzled. The rest are still here, though some half dozen or more of them are on that miserable “Pro” list again. They are: Calvert, San Giovanni, Macke, Kendrick, Schroeder, Powell and Hamilton. On top of this, one of our best varsity players is also on pro.

Men of Rice, our chances on the gridiron next fall depend ABSOLUTELY AND ENTIRELY on whether these men come off pro in June and whether those now on will stay off. YOU know that just as well as I. And so, once more, the question is not how anybody can tackle, run, or punt; not how many dances we’re going to have this spring; not how many shows we can dig up the money to attend; not what kind of schedule we’ve got for next fall, or when we will get a stadium, or anything of that sort. The one big thing that we all OUGHT to be thinking about is what all the football men are going to do for the remaining ten weeks of this year with their studies.

You know how marvelously promising was the outlook for the track team under the wonders that Coach Hjertberg had achieved with them—until the February exams came along. Then, in a twinkling, all the grand hopes that everybody entertained were swept out of existence by the downfall of some of the most able members of the squad.

Over and over and over we see Rice athletes failing utterly to learn anything whatever from the fate of others right beside them who loafed and lost, not on the field but in the classroom, and these blind ones go right on to their doom, in their turn, at the next exams, like so many moths flying into the flame.

What the coaches can do in the way of moulding a good team for next fall will be entirely dependent on what the athletes themselves so in the next ten weeks with their studies. It’s not a matter of coaching. Rice coaches have to be something more, much more, than that, apparently to stand a chance of coming through coaches here must be superhuman inspirers of youth to efforts along totally different lines from what it is their expressed business to teach. Can they do it? Are they fitted by nature or training or experience to do this and do it supremely well? No, not all coaches can do these things. Still, they can try. And I ask every reader the point blank question whether the Rice coaches have tried or not. Answer me, please.

Then, will the student himself try—try along the lines he came here to pursue? If he will try equally hard along his own lines we will have a team—the best team Rice has had in years. Otherwise—Good Night!”
(This post was last modified: 08-13-2016 05:21 AM by GoodOwl.)
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Post: #396
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Rice's Third Athletic Director:

3. Dr. Gaylord “Red Dog” Johnson, Sr. Rice Athletic Director 1927-1940.

(unable to locate a picture)

Rice 1921, M.A. 1923, Ph. D. in Organic Chemistry Rice 1925 (he also taught Chemistry at Rice)

Dr. Gaylord Johnson helped Rice University rise up to the ranks of national athletic powers, even with the smallest student body of any “major” college in the nation. Dr. Johnson played a big role in that advance when he began his full-time athletic administrative phase of a brilliant career with his appointment as Business Manager of Athletics by John W. Heisman in 1926.

When the latter resigned as coach and Athletic Director in 1927, Dr. Johnson took over the full direction of the athletic department at Rice and was a highly respected administrator until he helped in the selection of Jess Neely to become Athletic Director and Head Football Coach in 1940. Dr. Johnson then left the department to go into the business world in Houston but continued to be an avid supporter of owl athletics through the years after leaving Rice.

In his tenure as Rice Athletic Director, Dr. Johnson saw Rice develop great athletes of national and world renown, among which were Fred Wolcutt, Emmett Brunson, Bill Wallace and John McCauley, Lou Hassell, Bob Kinney and many more than can be adequately mentioned here. As veteran sportswriter Clark Nealon once emphasized to Dr. Johnson, he had served during the “Golden Age of Rice Athletics.”

The first real national Rice recognition was earned for the Owls’ football exploits by the then-Rice Institute grid teams of 1934 and 1937 (the school’s first two Southwest Conference football championships.) Jimmy Kitts was Head Coach when Rice won those titles, and Lou Hertenberger was the highly motivated line coach. Jack Meagher preceeded Kitts as Football Coach.

Johnson presided over and handled the logistics for large events at the time such as the Rice relays, at which over 500 athletes participated, including 14 national or world champions, and with participation from prominent schools of the day such as Georgetown, Northwestern and Drake.

Dr. Johnson had the rare privilege of an association with Rice University since the school itself began. He applied for entrance to the very first class, in 1912, in the original downtown Houston office of Mr. McCants before the Rice campus came into use, although he didn’t enter until 1913 because of illness. World War I interrupted his studies, in addition to another illness, so it was in 1921 he earned his B.A. He then attained his M.A. in 1923, and his Ph. D. in 1925. Although he taught chemistry at Rice, and wrote his Doctoral Thesis on "The preparation and chemical properties of the propinyl halides," Johnson’s real interest was athletics and so he moved into that area full time in 1926 until 1940.

Although he was never enthusiastic about it, a couple of generations of “R” men would be disappointed if there wasn’t a reference to his nickname among the Owl athletes he aided in so many ways, for the “Red Dog” was a dynamo as he charged over the Rice campus or wherever his duties took him to further the cause of The Institute’s athletic programs.
(This post was last modified: 08-13-2016 02:23 PM by GoodOwl.)
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Post: #397
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Rice's Fourth Athletic Director:

4. Jess Neely, Head Football Coach and Athletic Director 1940-1967
Vanderbilt, 1922

Neely in front of Rice Stadium: [Image: 96b646062d216853d82150fc853f4d48.jpg]

[Image: 920x920.jpg]


[Image: neely-with-press-nd.jpg?w=300&h=223]
Photo from 1965 or 1966 Rice Blue-Grey game, Rice Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Jess Neely and former Rice SID Bill Whitmore. In the middle is Joe McLaughlin, sports writer for the Houston Chronicle. The player may be Murphy Davis.


For 27 seasons, Jess Claiborne Neely ruled the Owl’s roost as head Football Coach and Athletic Director. He saw his Owls win 144 games, more victories than any other Southwest Conference Coach, before or –to date—since. He led Rice to four championships, two outright and two shared, into six Bowl games where he split, beating Tennessee, Alabama and North Carolina –losing to Navy, Mississippi and Kansas. Equally a success at the box office, Jess is credited with having paid off a $2 million balance due on the great new Rice Stadium he helped so materially to set the stage for and build. At the same time, his football “take” was contributing thousands of dollars to other Rice funds and activities. Jess came to Rice as a successful coach from Clemson in 1940. Rice Stadium, an engineering marvel of the day was built in 1950 and still stands in Houston, Texas on Rice's campus today as a testament to the program that Neely built at Rice. He returned to his alma mater, Vanderbilt (Class of 1922), after his last Rice season effectively helping lead a renaissance in Vandy’s athletics. In 1971, Coach Neely was inducted into the National Hall of fame as player at Vanderbilt under the great old timer, Dan McGugin, and as outstanding coach, joining three of his “boys”, Weldon Humble and James “Froggie” Williams of Rice and Banks McFadden of Clemson, in this greatest of all football shrines.

Jess Neely along with Joe Davis were the remarkable Head Coach and Line Coach duo who brought so much success to Rice for the longest period of time.

Jess Claiborne Neely (January 4, 1898 – April 9, 1983) was an American football player and a baseball and football coach. He was head football coach at Southwestern University (now Rhodes College) from 1924 to 1927, at Clemson University from 1931 to 1939 and at Rice University from 1940 to 1966, compiling a career college football record of 207–176–19. Neely was also the head baseball coach at the University of Alabama (1929–1930), at Clemson (1932–1938) and at Rice (1945 and 1948), tallying a career college baseball mark of 109–108–5. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a coach in 1971.

Neely was hired by Rice in 1940 and led the team to a six-win turnaround. Neely was 1949 Southwest Conference coach of the year. His last road win was a 20–17 upset over the Texas Longhorns in 1965.

Jess Neely's Last Road Win Was One to Remember
Link and video: http://www.riceowls.com/blog/2011/09/jes...ember.html


In an October 24, 1962 article in the Rice Thresher, Jess Neely pointed out that an Athletic Department can provide a means of contact with the world outside the school which can not be provided by other departments. In this connection Neely said, “The athletic program can be a common denominator between the University and its Alumni and friends.”

While the athletic program makes this specific contribution to the University, Neely felt it essential that it also be an integrated part of any school. Neely believed that any boy’s primary obligation is to get a degree.

The position of athletics at Rice differed even when Neely coached from that of other Southwest Conference schools because of Rice’s limited enrollment. The University of Texas at that time annually gave more football scholarships than the fifty Rice allotted for all sports. No conference rule existed at that time concerning a limit to scholarships, and Neely’s remark, “I have no desire to limit other schools,” attests to his generous Southern background.

The Commerce program at that time had improved Rice’s competitive position for young athletes, Neely felt. “Many boys found the Academic curriculum too tough and were forced to join P.E. against their interests. Now those boys interested in business can enter the Commerce Department.” The result was that in one class of forty-eight entering freshmen athletes only about fifteen were Physical Education majors. Coach Neely was very proud that only one boy on scholarship failed to make his grades the previous year, and pointed out that athletics is not necessarily so time-consuming that it opposes scholarship.

A great article published in the August 25, 2016 Houston Chronicle gives a good overview of what all the fuss was about Rice Football under Jess Neely (also has a 15-picture gallery of excellent photos from that era of Rice football-click on link in title):

Before Houston pro sports, all eyes were on Rice
Southwest Conference success was cornerstone of university's storied past
By Brent Zwerneman, Houston Chronicle
August 25, 2016


Biographical details
Born: January 4, 1898
Smyrna, Tennessee
Died: April 9, 1983 (aged 85)
Weslaco, Texas

Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) Bowl Result/Coaches Poll/AP Poll (1940–1966)
1940 Rice 7–3 (4–2) T–3rd
1941 Rice 6–3–1 (3–2–1) 4th
1942 Rice 7–2–1 (4–1–1) 2nd
1943 Rice 3–7 (2–3) T–3rd
1944 Rice 5–6 (2–3) T–4th
1945 Rice 5–6 (3–3) T–3rd
1946 Rice 9–2 (5–1) T–1st W Orange 10
1947 Rice 6–3–1 (4–2) 3rd 18
1948 Rice 5–4–1 (3–2–1) T–3rd
1949 Rice 10–1 (6–0) 1st W Cotton 5
1950 Rice 6–4 (2–4) T–5th
1951 Rice 5–5 (3–3) T–3rd
1952 Rice 5–5 (4–2) 2nd
1953 Rice 9–2 (5–1) T–1st W Cotton 6 6
1954 Rice 7–3 (4–2) T–3rd 19 19
1955 Rice 2–7–1 (0–6) 7th
1956 Rice 4–6 (1–5) 5th
1957 Rice 7–4 (5–1) 1st L Cotton 7 8
1958 Rice 5–5 (4–2) T–2nd
1959 Rice 1–7–2 (1–4–1) 6th
1960 Rice 7–4 (5–2) T–2nd L Sugar
1961 Rice 7–4 (5–2) 3rd L Bluebonnet 17
1962 Rice 2–6–2 (2–4–1) 6th
1963 Rice 6–4 (4–3) 3rd
1964 Rice 4–5–1 (3–3–1) T–4th
1965 Rice 2–8 (1–6) T–7th
1966 Rice 2–8 (1–6) 8th
Neely as Rice Head Football Coach:
144–124–10 (SWC) 86–75–6
Overall Coaching record Total:
207–176–19
(This post was last modified: 08-26-2016 12:44 PM by GoodOwl.)
08-12-2016 09:58 PM
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Post: #398
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Rice's Fifth Athletic Director:

5. Bo Hagan was Rice Head Football Coach and Athletic Director after Jess Neely retired in 1967 – until he resigned in November of 1970.

South Carolina 1949/50

[Image: wrc01519.jpg?w=237&h=300]
Roger Roitsch, of LaGrange, Texas, was ALL-SWC guard and 1970 All-American candidate, Tri-captain of the Rice Football Team, featured in this photo with Rice University Head Football Coach and Athletic Director Harold “Bo” Hagan.

[Image: Bill%20Camp%20old%20pohto-thumb-560x326-31462.jpg]
South Carolina Football QB “Bo” Hagan along with other South Carolina pitchers on a SC staff that went 16-9-1 in baseball. Bill "Country" Camp in center of photo along with Hagan, Frank Sherer and Grady Faircloth.

Harold Benjamin "Bo" Hagan (October 8, 1925 – January 22, 2002) was an American football and baseball player, football coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as head football coach at Rice University from 1967 from 1970, compiling a record of 12–27–1. Before serving as head coach, Hagan was the backfield coach at Rice for 11 seasons. Hagan was the athletic director at the University of South Carolina from 1975 to 1976.

Hagan was a high school football coach in Atlanta before serving as freshmen football coach at the Georgia Institute of Technology under Bobby Dodd from 1951 to 1953. He moved to Southern Methodist University in 1954, where he worked for two seasons as backfield coach with Woody Woodard. In 1956, Jess Neely hired Hagan as his backfield coach at Rice University. He assisted Neely for 11 seasons before succeeding him as head coach after the 1966 campaign.

From the Rice Thresher October 20, 1961:
Coach Hagan Rebel From Georgia Tech.

Harold “Bo” Hagan, a backfield coach for the Owl football squad, has often been described as “one of the top young coaches in American college football.” He is noted for his “razor sharp mind for gridiron tactics—a mind developed under the tutelage of Georgia tech’s Bobby Dodd, the Owls’ foe in Atlanta three weeks ago.

At the age of thirty-five, Hagan remarks, “I can hardly remember a time when I didn’t want to be a football coach. The first time I ‘coached’ a team was when I was in the fourth grade.” Since then, Hagan’s football career has certainly prospered. He was an all-round schoolboy athlete in his home-town of Savannah, Georgia, before attending the University of South Carolina, where he became an All-American quarterback.

After becoming Head Freshman Coach at Georgia Tech, Hagan moved to SMU for the 1953 and 1954 seasons under the Mustang mentor, Woody Woodward. From there, he came to Rice in 1955, as Jess nelly’s backfield coach. Known for his coaching methods, Hagan believes that organization is the key to success. He indicates that most schools get the same type of material, but “show me a school that’s winning consistently and I’ll show you a staff that’s working ‘round the clock.”

Hagan’s coaching techniques resemble those of Dodd to a large degree. Says the coach, “I guess Bobby Dodd had more influence on my coaching than anyone else. He’s also an advocate of the Neyland (U. of Tennessee) defense of “make the other team work for you.” If “Bo” Hagan approaches the Dodd-Neyland school in coaching, he is sure to be a successful head coach of the future.

From the Rice Thresher December 1, 1966:
Hagan follows ‘Dean of Coaches’

Bo Hagan, Jess Neely’s newly appointed successor as Rice’s head football coach, is a man who should make subtle, but noticeable changes in the appearance of intercollegiate athletics at Rice.

A dynamic, energetic person who still embodies the integrity long associated with Jess nelly, Hagan, a favorite of the players, should mix knowledge of the game, ability to communicate with his players, and dignity into a winning combination.

Having come to Rice ten years ago from SMU, the popular backfield coach had formerly served under Bobby Dodd at Georgia tech, in the company of Ray Graves and Frank Broyles, both of whom have since become head coaches.

Ending speculation that Rice might be planning to de-emphasize football, Hagan announced the University had consented to an increase both in the coaching staff and in the number of athletic scholarships offered.

Concerning assistant coaches, Hagan said he had not yet decided who he would like to bring in nor who among the present staff he would ask to remain. He emphasized, however, that those currently on the staff would receive first consideration.

Concerning scholarships, Coach Hagan declined to specify the exact number he would like to give each year, but noted that the state schools in the (Southwest) conference were currently giving the legal maximum of fifty.

Rice would give, he said, a number “such as to compare with the other private schools in the conference.”

When asked about his philosophy of football, Coach Hagan answered that offense and defense are stereotyped in college football and offer few opportunities for variation. He prefers the “I” formation, however, with a passing attack to complement the running game. “You can’t win without throwing,” he said.

Optimistic about the team’s future, he said he felt Rice could compete with anyone in the Southwest Conference. He was pleased with the quality of players he is inheriting, but was somewhat concerned about the perennial problem of a lack of depth.

Although the other conference schools have been actively recruiting since the beginning of the week, Coach Hagan did not feel this would handicap Rice’s efforts.

“I think any further delay would complicate recruiting,” he said, “but as of now it isn’t too late.” He will shortly be leaving to join the rest of the staff in recruiting in the area within fifty miles of Houston, where he plans to concentrate his talent search.

He gracefully skirted the question of integrated athletics, but did say he would continue recruiting athletes who could meet Rice’s academic requirements, a policy Coach Neely had followed for several years.

Coach Neely, who was also present at the announcement, praised Hagan for his interest in his players and said he was very pleased with the appointment. “I don’t think the players know about this (Hagan’s appointment) yet, but I feel they’ll be delighted,” Coach Neely said.

The appointment came as the Board of Governors at its regular monthly meeting approved Hagan’s recommendation by a faculty committee headed by Dr. Alan J. Chapman. The committee made its selection after interviewing “a very large number” of applicants.


Hagan’s last season as Head Football Coach at Rice wasn’t actually a total disaster–Rice actually went 5-5 overall (3-4 SWC) to finish 4th overall, which was the Owls’ first non-losing season since 1963 under then-coach Neely. And Bo Hagan actually won his last three games as Rice Head Coach: 18-17 on the road at Texas A&M, 17-15 at Rice Stadium against TCU and finally in his last game 28-23 on the road at Baylor.

It is interesting to note that in 1970 Rice fielded successful teams in every sport in which athletic scholarships were then given: The football program (frosh and varsity) had a combined 9-6 won-lost record. The baseball team had their then best season ever, winning 19 games. Rice finished a strong third in the SWC track and field championships. And the Owl basketball and tennis squads both won SWC titles, the latter finishing second in the nation to UCLA.

But the fans weren’t in a patient mood. A campaign to fire Hagan arose, complete with petitions, letters to the editor . . . and bumper stickers.

[Image: fire-bo-hagan-sticker.jpg?w=300&h=83]

From the Rice Thresher November 12, 1970:
Hagan Resigns as Head Coach

Harold B. (Bo) Hagan has resigned as Head Football Coach and Athletic Director, effective December 1. This announcement came in the wake of four losing seasons. Hagan, head coach since the retirement of longtime Rice Head Coach Jess Neely, will direct the team the remainder of the season. No successor has been named.

In a prepared statement given to the press, Hagan said that the coaching staff had set “certain goals for our football team and they have not been reached.” He added that he had a strong desire for “Rice to be successful in football and to have an outstanding all-around athletic program.”

Hagan noted that any decision regarding the remainder of the current Rice staff will be up to the new Athletic Director. He said his own future plans are indefinite. Ending his statement, he said, “I regret that we did not achieve success on the scoreboard, but I know Rice can and will be competitive in the future.” Hagan would not make any further statements.

Released at the same time was a statement by the tri-captains of the football team, Bucky Allshouse, Roger Roitsch, and Brownie Wheless. Stating that they wished to issue a statement for the entire squad, they said, “All of us deeply regret the decision Coach Hagan has made to step down as Head Coach of football. He is a fine gentleman who has worked extremely hard, along with his staff, to help us become better athletes and good citizens. Certainly no one can fault Coach Hagan or his assistants for a great effort to build a strong program for the university and to try and have a winning team.”

The captains believe that they have been prepared as well as possible, and noted that hey have given maximum effort against strong opposition.

Dr. Norman Hackerman, university president, said that the decision made by Hagan was his own. Hackerman in an interview said that a new appointment will be made with the proper advise and consultation. “The Sports Committee will submit names and resumes, as will alumni. When we have a list of names, we will, after much thought, contact our choices one at a time. As soon as one accepts (we will go down the list), we will name our coach.” Hackerman indicated that the decision will be made “with all due dispatch. I wish we could name him now.” Hackerman said he had no names yet.

The Committee on Outdoor Sports, which has members from the faculty, alumni, and Board of Governors will supply names for the job. The final choice is left to Dr. Hackerman, with the approval of the Board of Governors.

Dr. (Alan) Chapman, chairman of the committee (a former Rice track letterman in 1944 and 1945 under coaches Bill Wallace and Cecil Grigg; and former SWC president from 1965-1967, and later NCAA President (1973-1974) who also taught Mechanical Engineering for 30 years), commented that he was sorry to see Hagan go. “He is the type of man who is needed in collegiate athletics in general,” he said. “We have not started looking for other people yet.”

Both Hagan and Chapman indicated that the recruitment program should not be hurt. The files on high school players are being kept up-to-date, and the new coach should have no trouble stepping in.

Dr. Rorschach, secretary of the committee, said, “I am sorry that he couldn’t make a go of it. It’s a tough, thankless job. I like Mr. Hagan. He had a good team and is a fine man. It will be hard to find a man for the job.” The original sub-committee which worked with Pitzer on the selection of Hagan consisted of Chapman, Rorschach, Dr. Jim Castenada (now master of Will Rice), Dr. Frank E. Vandiver (now provost) and the late Mr. Robert Ray.

Rice’s past home schedules used to look like this:

[Image: football-fire-bo-hagan.jpg?w=300&h=219]
1969 Rice Home Football Season sign


Biographical details
Born: October 8, 1925
Savannah, Georgia
Died: January 22, 2002 (aged 76)
Greenville, South Carolina

Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) (1967–1970)
1967 Rice 4–6 (2–5) 7th
1968 Rice 0–9–1 (0–7) 8th
1969 Rice 3–7 (2–5) T–6th
1970 Rice 5–5 (3–4) T–4th
Hagan's Football Head Coach record at Rice:
12–27–1 (7–21)
Overall Total: 12–27–1
(This post was last modified: 08-13-2016 02:30 PM by GoodOwl.)
08-13-2016 12:35 AM
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GoodOwl Offline
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RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
Rice's Sixth Athletic Director:

6. Bill Peterson, Athletic Director, Head Football Coach

Peterson served as head football coach and athletic director at Rice University during the 1971 season.


Although rumors at the time mentioned most prominently names like Mike Campbell, assistant at UTexas; Eddie Crowder of Colorado; Jim Pittman of Tulane; and Indiana’s Johnny Pont, Rice ended up hiring Bill Peterson to be their next Head Football Coach and Athletic Director after the end of 1970.

[Image: mug_peterson_bill.jpg]

[Image: BOW-590-BS_F.JPG?1336012815]
(MY1) MONTGOMERY, Ala. Dec 23—NEW OILER HEAD MAN—BILL Peterson, named Thursday night as head football coach of the Houston Oilers, grips football at practice session here for Blue-Grey game. He was head coach at Rice University when he was tapped for the pro post. (AP Wirephoto) 1971 (with AP sports story).

William E. "Bill" Peterson (May 15, 1920 – August 5, 1993) was an American football coach. His career included head coaching stops at Florida State, Rice University and with the Houston Oilers. Considered one of the unique characters in college sports, Peterson is credited with bringing the pro passing game to college football. He is also known as the "Coach of Coaches", having tutored such coaches as Joe Gibbs, Bill Parcells, Bobby Bowden, Don James, Dan Henning, Ken Meyer and many others. Coach "Pete", as he was known, is also remembered for his reshaping of the English language. One of his more novel expressions was to have his team "pair off in groups of threes, then line up in a circle." Beyond his trials with syntax, Peterson is best remembered for bringing the Seminoles to the forefront of college football, using pro-style offenses and a much feared passing game.

Born in Toronto, Ohio, Bill Peterson was the youngest of six children. When his father died at the age of twelve, Peterson thought his dream of coaching had died as well. Peterson persevered and ultimately earned a degree from Ohio Northern University in 1946. Playing end on the football team, Peterson was selected as a team captain. It was there that he met his wife, Marge, with whom he would be married for 52 years. Together, the couple had five sons.

Peterson began his coaching career as a high school coach in Ohio, recording a 51–22–3 record before joining Paul Dietzel in 1955 as an assistant coach at LSU. Working as the Tigers offensive line coach, Peterson was considered an integral part of the coaching staff that would lead the Tigers to the 1958 national championship. Peterson's work at LSU resulted in his being named the head football coach at Florida State in December 1959.

According to Florida State's 2008 football media guide, "Florida State's arrival on the national map occurred during Peterson's eleven seasons as head coach." While at FSU, Peterson would be recognized for his offensive innovations as well as a number of significant firsts for that fledging football program. Peterson became the first Seminole coach to beat the University of Florida, a 16–7 win at Doak Campbell Stadium. Peterson also coached the Seminoles to their first win ever at Florida Field. Under Peterson, Fred Biletnikoff would become the Seminoles first All-American. Peterson also recruited the Seminoles first black football players, including J.T. Thomas, the first black to ever play varsity football at FSU. In recognition of his many accomplishments at Florida State, "H" style goal posts were added to the field at Doak Campbell Stadium in 2002 and have been named, "Pete's Posts".

After the 1970 season, Rice University came calling with lots of money and a number of other incentives that amounted to too much for Peterson to turn down. Peterson served as head football coach and athletic director at Rice University during the 1971 season. Author Giles Tippette documented that 3-7-1 campaign in his 1973 book, Saturday's Children.

[Image: 51BJ3nHC4oL.jpg]

The now famous Bayou Bucket series between Rice and U of Houston was begun under Peterson’s tenure at Rice, although the actual series’ name came later. The anticipation was so high in 1971 that Ted Nance, then the sports information director at UH, was disappointed that only 62,000 showed up for this clash of the homeboys. Rice had ignored or avoided scheduling this game since the birth of the UH school on Cullen Boulevard. Bill Peterson, who came to Rice from Florida State and had no local bias, agreed to play the Cougars for the most novel of reasons. He thought the public wanted it.

In 1972, Peterson joined a select group who have been head coaches in high school, at the major college level and in the National Football League (NFL). As has been the case with a number of successful college coaches, Peterson did not fare well as a head coach in the NFL. Peterson coached the Houston Oilers for the entire 1972 season and for five games in the 1973 season. The team finished 1–13 in 1972 and 0–5 in his five games in 1973. His career record in the NFL was 1–18, and his .053 winning percentage is the lowest for any coach after the NFL/AFL merger who coached at least an entire season.

After leaving the Oilers, Peterson was the athletic director at the University of Central Florida from 1982 through 1985. After his retirement, he spent the last years of his life back in Tallahassee working at Florida State University in an administrative and fund raising capacity.

Peterson is a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, the Florida State University Sports Hall of Fame, the Ohio Northern Athletic Hall of Fame, the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame, the Mansfield, Ohio City Schools Hall of Fame and the Toronto, Ohio High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Peterson's greatest legacy as a coach may be in the number of successful head coaches that got their start working under him. Each of the following worked for Peterson, many getting their first coaching jobs as a member of his staff. Together, these coaches claimed five Super Bowl wins and four major college football national championships. Since 2006, every head coach of college football's BCS national champion can be found in the Peterson coaching tree:
• Don James (Kent State, Washington)
• Bobby Bowden (West Virginia, Florida State)
• Vince Gibson (Kansas State, Louisville, Tulane)
• Al Conover (Rice)
• Gene McDowell (Central Florida)
• Joe Avezzano (Oregon State)
• Y C McNease (Idaho)
• John Coatta (Wisconsin, Mankato State)
• Joe Gibbs (Washington Redskins)
• Dan Henning (Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Boston College)
• Bill Parcells (New York Giants, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys)
• Ken Meyer (San Francisco 49ers)
• Earle Bruce (Ohio State, Colorado State)
• Kay Stephenson (Buffalo Bills)
• Bobby Ross (Maryland, Georgia Tech, San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions, Army)

Biographical details
Born: May 14, 1920
Place of birth Toronto, Ohio
Died: August 5, 1993 (aged 73)

Rice Owls (Southwest Conference) (1971)
1971 Rice 3–7–1 (2–4–1) 6th
Peterson's Football Record at Rice:
3–7–1 (2–4–1)
Overall Career College record Total:
65–49–12
(This post was last modified: 08-15-2016 09:38 PM by GoodOwl.)
08-13-2016 02:49 AM
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GoodOwl Offline
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Post: #400
RE: Transformation vs Incrementalism
From the February 10, 1972 Rice Thresher:
Extra! Peterson fiasco details are out. Read all about it.

The dead stillness of the Rice campus during mid-semester break was disturbed this year by rumblings within the Athletic Department’s and President Dr. Hackerman’s offices. Specifically, for the second time in as many Decembers, Rice was forced to search for a new head football coach and athletic director. The situation was brought about when Bill Peterson, having just completed his first year of a five-year contract at Rice, announced he was leaving his Rice position to assume the head coaching role of the professional Houston Oilers. For those who may have missed it, the Thresher hereby makes a valiant attempt to re-create the play-by-play, day-to-day events surrounding Peterson’s resignation and the ensuing search for his successor. The story goes like this:

Dec. 22, 1971 – Ed Hughes, coach of the Houston Oilers, is fired by Oilers owner Bud Adams, reportedly over a disagreement involving the firings of the Oilers’ trainer and equipment manager. The (more) likely reason for Hughes’ dismissal, however, is the Oilers poor 4-9-1 won-loss record for the just-completed 1971 season. Meantime, rumors circulate that Rice coach Bill Peterson has been contacted by the Oilers in regard to his taking over the Oilers head coaching duties. Peterson, in Montgomery, Alabama for the Blue-Gray game, denies these reports, saying, “I haven’t talked with the Oilers this year.”

Dec. 23, 1971 – Adams and Peterson confirm reports that Peterson has signed a multi-year contract to be head coach of the Oilers. Peterson says his contract is for 10-years at $75,000 per year with a five-year option. Dr. Hackerman says Peterson is still head coach at Rice and will be held to his 5-year contract.

Dec. 24, 1971 – Adams says that he had a verbal commitment from Peterson as early as Monday, December 20, in which Peterson agreed to take over as head coach of the Oilers if Ed Hughes was fired. It is also reported that the Denver Broncos of the NFL contacted Peterson for their vacant head coaching position, but Peterson declined because he had already committed to the Oilers.

Dec. 24, 1971 (later that day) – Dr. Hackerman, after threatening legal action against Peterson for violation of his Rice contract, decides instead to terminate Peterson’s contract at Rice, allowing Peterson to accept the Oiler job. Meanwhile, Hackerman and the Rice Council on Athletics begin the search for a new athletic director and head football coach. Hackerman reportedly has already contacted Rice assistants Tobin Rote, John Linville, Larry Peccatiello, and Al Conover, as well as outsiders Bill Beall, Dave Smith, Homer Rice, and Barry Switzer, in connection with the now vacant Rice positions.

Dec. 28, 1971 – Hackerman announces that the new head coach, whoever he may be, must be willing to stay with the pro-type system Peterson installed at Rice.

Dec. 29, 1971 – Peterson meets with Hackerman, and is officially released from his Rice contract. No legal action is to be taken.

Dec. 30, 1971 – The search continues, with North Carolina Athletic Director Homer Rice and Oklahoma assistant coach Barry Switzer reportedly in Houston to discuss the Rice job with Dr. Hackerman.

Dec. 31, 1971 -- Peterson holds first news conference as Oiler head coach after officially being released from duties at Rice.

Dec. 30, 1971-Jan. 2, 1972 – Bowl games and New Year’s weekend temporarily halt Rice search for a new coach, but Dr. Hackerman announces that the hunt will continue next week (Jan. 3).

Jan. 3, 1972 – Johnny Majors, head coach at Iowa State, and Barry Switzer, of Oklahoma, are interviewed at Rice.

Jan. 5, 1972 – According to the Houston Chronicle, Homer Rice has been chosen to fill the Rice AD and head coaching spots. At 8 pm on January 4, however, Dr. Hackerman, just prior to announcing the selection of Rice (Homer) for Rice (University), says, “A delay has come up. Nope, we can’t name the coach tonight.”

Jan. 6, 1972 – Homer Rice withdraws his name from consideration for the Rice job, and Johnny Majors apparently has inside track.

Jan. 6, 1972 (later) -- Majors turns down Rice job and Hackerman announces Al Conover as new Rice head football coach, with Red Bale taking over as AD. At the news conference called to announce the hirings, Hackerman states that he had screened a total of 50 applicants for Rice head coaching job. Of those, only Majors had received a firm offer to come to Rice and declined.

And so, the story ended with the popular selection of Conover to fill the head coaching position. Conover, who came to Rice with Peterson as an assistant, becomes Rice’s third head coach in the last three years. Bale, formerly Rice’s Assistant AD, now assumes the exclusive role of Athletic Director. Hackerman, in concluding the news conference, expressed his hope that the pick-a-coach game will not become an annual event at Rice.
(This post was last modified: 08-13-2016 05:38 AM by GoodOwl.)
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