Friday, SeptemHe? 17,1954
THE BATTALION
Page 5
A&M Football Coaching Stall Includes
Top-Flight Crew of Gridiron Teachers
When Paul (Bear) Bryant took
over the reins at A&M last spring
as head football coach and ath
letic director, he brought five
coaches with him from Kentucky,
making the Aggie coaching staff a
high-powered collection of pigskin
teachers.
Seven men, plus Bryant and a
trainer, complete the Cadet coach
ing staff. There is no coach la
beled “frosh coach,” because Bry
ant believes “the freshmen deserve
the best.”
“The entire staff will coach the
Fish team,” he said. “They will
receive the benefit of our entire
staff’s football training.”
JI5H OWENS, former University
of Oklahoma all-America end, will
help handle the A&M linemen.
A ^native of Oklahoma City, the
27-year-old Owens co-captained the
Sooner Sugar bowl champs of 1949.
He played on three great Sooner
teams under Bud Wilkinson and as
a freshman in 1946 lettered under
Jim Tatum.
Owens entered the Kentucky
scene as assistant to Bryant after
playing a year of pro ball with
Baltimore. Prior to hanging up his
playing shoes, Owens participated
in two Sugar bowl games, one Ga
tor bowl contest, the College All-
Star game and the Senior bowl.
Was on the Kentucky Staff the
past three seasons.
During World War II he served
as an enlisted air crewman in the
naval air corps.
PHIL CUTCHIN comes to A&M
from Kentucky where he was as
sistant the past two years. He’ll
worlk with the Aggie backs.
A 1943 graduate of Kentucky,
the 33-year-old Cutchin came back
after infantry service in WW II
for his final year of eligibilty at
Kentucky in 1946. He was a half
back.
He served as assistant at Ohio
Wesleyan from 1947 until his recall
into the service in 1950. After a
year in Korea with the First Cav
alry division, he returned to Ken
tucky.
JERRY CLAIBORNE was an
outstanding safetyman and end
during’ four years’ varsity exper
ience at Kentucky under Coach
Bryant. He’ll help handle the
backs at A&M.
Assistant coach at Kentucky the
past two seasons, Claiborne, 25,
was one of the nation’s top pass
interception artists, helped Ken
tucky to the school’s first major
bowl game—the Orange in 1950.
Head coach at Augusta, Virginia
Military Academy in 1950-51.
WILLIE F. ZAPALAC, having
served as successful freshmen
coach at A&M in 1953, joins the
other Aggie assistants this season
under Bryant.
Zapalac, 32, attended high school
at Bellville where he established a
scoring record of 245 points in his
senior year-—1938. He played var
sity football at A&M in 1941, 1942
and 1946. His last season came
after serving 36 months in the air
corps. He came out a first lieu
tenant.
After playing pro ball with the
Pittsburg Steelers in 1947, he
EVERYTHING FOR THE
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Deer Rifles
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4 Ammunition
m
HILLCREST
Hardware
2013 College Road
I ’d
coached at John Tarleton, Hillsboro
high school and Arlington State
before returning to A&M as frosh
coach in 1953. Among his duties in
1954 will be chief scout and work
ing with the backs.
PAT JAMES, former star guard
for the Kentucky Wildcats, will
work with the Aggie line.
A high school back at New Bos
ton, Ohio, James was shifted to
the line by Coach Bryant at Ken
tucky. The move was a success
ful one because James was a chief
factor in Kentucky’s 14-7 victory
over Oklahoma in the 1951 Sugar
bowl.
James, 27, coached at Danville,
Ky., high school in 1952 and serv
ed as assistant to Coach Bryant at
Kentucky in 1951 and 1953.
ELMER SMITH came to A&M
(See Page 7)
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