Woody Hayes Says "Happy V-Day. NOW!!!"

Woody Hayes was born 96 years ago today. He was a great Miami of Ohio head coach, and he also had success subsequently. Hayes was a high school football coach for a couple of years before he enlisted in the Navy in 1941. He rose to the rank of of Lieutenant Commander. After his service in the war, he returned to his alma mater, Denison, as the head coach. Hayes "drove his first squad at Denison so hard that school authorities warned him to ease up on the team or face the consequences," according to WOSU. He had a 19-game at Denison, which led to the Miami job. Sid Gillman had been the Miami coach, but moved down state route 27 to the University of Cincinnati--Miami's rival. So, before Woody's rivalry with Bo Schembechler and Michigan while the Buckeye coach, Woody was rivals with Gillman and UC. Gillman disliked Woody, as well. By 1950, Woody had the Redskins in the Salad Bowl, where they defeated Arizona State. He was hired by Ohio State in 1951. The story is that Paul Brown was interested in coming back to Ohio State, but the school hired Woody instead. (The image is from buckeyefansonly.)

Paul Brown, Greatest Football Coach in History, Born 100 Years Ago

Paul Brown was born 100 years ago today. Paul Brown was the greatest coach in football history, I think (as do others), and I think that I can make the case.

Brown might not have been the greatest coach in high school football history. But he did create the myth and legend of the Massillon Tigers High School program, which lays claim as the greatest high school program in football history. It is certainly among the top high school teams in football history. Brown was 80-8-2 in nine years at Massillon, with six state championships. Combined with his 16-1-1 mark at Severn, a Naval Academy prep school, before taking over the Massillon program, Brown was 96-9-3 record in 11 years as a high school coach. Maybe not the greatest … but maybe.

Brown was not the greatest coach in college football history. But he did win a National Championship in his second season as Ohio State's coach, in 1942. He lost most of his team to the war effort the next year, and his Baby Bucks went 3-6 in 1943, his final season as a college coach before going into the Navy. He was 18-8-1 in three years as the Buckeye's head coach. Good … not the greatest.

Brown might not have been the greatest coach in pro football history. But in his first 13 season in the NFL, as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Brown was 111-44-5. If I am calculating that correctly (I'm not sure how to calculate ties … I think you throw them out), he had a better-than 71 percent winning percentage. In those 13 seasons, he won three NFL titles, went to the Championship Game seven times, and went to the postseason eight times. Vince Lombardi was 89-29-4 in his nine years as the Packers head coach (.754 winning percentage), with five NFL titles (two Super Bowl wins) and an additional appearance in the Championship Game. Brown's first nine years in the NFL compare very favorably. Brown was 81-25-2 (.764 winning percentage?), three NFL titles (pre-Super Bowl), and an additional five appearances in the Championship Game. Maybe not the greatest … but maybe.

There are other things, of course, including the four AAFC Championships, the Great Lakes Naval Station teams, and the Cincinnati Bengals. Brown, a member of the Cradle of Coaches at Miami University, was innovative, using classrooms and inventing the facemask, etc. Taken all together, certainly a very good argument can be made that Paul Brown was the greatest football coach of all time.

Paul Dietzel, Cradle of Coaches Coach, Turns 84

Paul Dietzel, one of the four I believe Miami University Cradle of Coaches coaches who have won a National Championship, is 84 today.

Born September 5, 1924, Paul Dietzel served in World War II. After serving, he was an All-American center from Miami University. After he was graduated in 1948, Dietzel was an assistant under Red Blaik and Bear Bryant, two of the greatest coaches in history. Blaik was one of the four Miami coaches who went on to win a National Championship. The others were Paul Brown (in my opinion the greatest football coach of all time), Ara Parseghian, and Woody Hayes.

Dietzel became the head coach at LSU in 1955. He was credited with popularizing the platoon system when, in 1958, he won a National Championship with a starting team, the White Team, that was the starting offensive and defensive unit, the Gold Team, which was the second string offense, and the Chinese Bandits, the second string defense. The Chinese Bandits have gained fame for being smaller, quicker, less talented but more ferocious players. Dietzel went on to coach at Army and South Carolina.

There is a great article from Bud Johnson of the Advocate on the magical 1958 LSU Season. That is where the image is from.

thankyouverymuch,

OldCleat

Terry Hoeppner Inducted into Hall of Honor

Terry Hoeppner will be inducted today, June 19, 2008, into the Independence Bowl Hall of Honor, one year to the day after he died from brain cancer. The story about Coach Hep in today's Shreveport Times by Teddy Allen is very well done. Hoeppner was a great coach and a better person, and I am amazed that Miami (and the Big Ten and the college football community in general) lost two such young and amazing men as Hoeppner and Randy Walker in such a short space of time. The amazing reaction the entire Indiana University community had to Hoeppner is an indication of his impact. I'm glad Hoeppner was able to coach for the Hoosiers. The image of Terry Hoeppner is from Jeff Swinger of The Enquirer.

Here is the poem Don't Quit:

Don't Quit

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow --
You may succeed with another blow.

Success is failure turned inside out --
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are.
It may be near when it seems so far.
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit --
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

thankyouverymuch,

OldCleat

Joe Novak, 63 today

Joe Novak, former Northern Illinois head football coach, turned 63 today. He coached the way a Cradle of Coaches coach should coach.

As the Northern press guide says, "Honesty. Integrity. Respect. These are the principles that have guided Joe Novak, not only throughout his 11-year tenure as head coach of the Northern Illinois football team, but throughout his 40 years as a football coach."

He also had Northern running the heck out of the ball. And he came up with great running backs, very good offensive linemen, smart quarterbacks, and tough defenses. He did it the right way.

Joe, have a good day today. We'll miss ya, but we won't miss watching the RedHawks defense get just run over.

Look at the picture at OldCleat got from the mutha. He looks like the second coming of Bo Schembechler. Love it.

thankyouverymuch,

OldCleat

Jim Parker's Stays at Woody's Dorm; NCAA Blows Football History Top

I was saddened to read about the passing of Jim Parker, the legendary Ohio State Buckeye and Baltimore Colt lineman, who was one of the best players in football history.

In reading the obits, I was struck with one in the Baltimore Sun recounting his history as an Ohio State football player. First there was a little item on the weight that he gained. But the bigger item was where he stayed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/bal-sp.parker19jul19,1,2919229.story?coll=bal-sports-headlines

"When I'm gone, I'd like to be known as the best offensive lineman that
ever lived," Parker told The Sun in a 2000 interview. "I set that goal as a
college freshman, but I didn't get bodacious about it until later.

"You don't broadcast goals 'til it's all over."

Four years later, Parker had gained nearly 100 pounds and a college football scholarship. At Ohio State, where few blacks lived on campus, he stayed at the home of the late Woody Hayes, the Buckeyes' head coach, who would introduce Parker at his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1973.

First of all, he gained nearly 100 pounds. Parker was a big lineman for his time. So if he weighed 290 pounds, let's say, he would have had to have been about a 200 pounder as a high school player for the nearly 100 pounds he gained.

But, second of all, he stayed at the head coach's house. How do you think the suits at the NCAA would react to that today? Can you imagine the hubbub that would ensue today? It would be the biggest uproar in football history.

Hard to imagine.

thankyouverymuch,

old cleat