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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1979)
THE BATTALION Page 13 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1979 Bellard, Robertson off to MSU ineens rstfli istrali Sly moves Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschper Jr. Texas A&M’s Steve “Sly” Sylestine guards Texas Jim Krivacs in Monday night’s Texas- Texas A&M game. In the Aggies’ last two Igames, Sylestine has come off the bench to Icore a total of 22 points, mtich to the delight of Coach Shelby Metcalf. Tonight the 18th- ranked Aggies travel to Fort Worth to play the TCU Horned Frogs. Texas A&M is in fourth place in the Southwest Conference and TCU is in the cellar. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. United Press International STARKVILLE, Miss. — Emory Bellard, who masterminded the wishbone attack while at Texas A&M, was named Mississippi State’s new football coach Monday and said his goal was to make the Bulldogs competitive with any team in the nation. The new Mississippi State head coach announced that Melvin Robertson, defensive coordinator at Texas A&M last year, would be the defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs. Robertson, who was re leased by Texas A&M head coach Tom Wilson at the end of the 1978 season, built consistantly tough de fenses at Texas A&M. In 1975, the Aggies were No. 1 in the nation in total defense. Bellard, accepting the coaching reins at a news conference, said he was anxious to get on with the job of turning Mississippi into a national power and that he felt he had a solid foundation at the school to build on. “You are looking at a man who has his motor turned on,” Bellard said to applause from school supporters gathering at the news conference. The former Texas A&M chief, who resigned last year in mid season, promised his Mississippi State team would be “representa tive” in the tough Southeastern Conference. Bellard’s appointment ended days of speculation that he had been cho sen to succeed Bob Tyler at the Starkville school. Bellard, 48, vowed last season after quitting Texas A&M he was finished with coaching. Tyler resigned the football coach ing job last month, several days after he was fired as athletic director. Bellard built a national power at Texas A&M, compiling a 48-27 rec ord in six and one-half seasons. The Aggies also went to three bowl games under Bellard. He presently ranks 22nd among winningest active major football coaches. “I pledge that you will have my heart and soul in the effort,” the slow-talking Bellard said. Bellard said his first priority would be to make sure all high school players who have signed Southeastern Conference letters- of-intent with the school are secured by the national signing date of Feb. 21. Mississippi State Athletic Direc tor Carl Maddox, longtime Louisiana State University adminis trator who succeeded Tyler, said Bellard passed all the tests during a two-day visit to the campus last week. Bellard said his club would likely use the wishbone attack. “The wishbone is a philosophy of coaching and we will be using that philosophy,” Bellard said. “We will run a lot of options — a lot of var iations from that particular philoso phy.” Bellard told the packed news con ference he changed his mind about coaching because “that is all I’ve done all my life. Coaching is what I like.” The coach quit Texas A&M last season after six games. He said he resigned the post because he under stood he would be fired at the end of the season. He said although he had not gone into details on the strengths of the Bulldogs, a general observation was the school had some talented players coming back. Maddox said Bellard was given a four-year, $45,000 contract with MSU — the maximum allowed under state regulations. Maddox said the coach also would receive $20,000 per year in television show premiums. Mississippi State currently plays the majority of its games in Jackson because the stadium in the capital city is larger than in Starkville. Tyler quit the coaching post Jan. 22 shortly after being ousted as ath letic director by MSU President James McComas. The college presi dent said he removed Tyler as ath letic director because the football program had demanded too much of his time in answering criticisms. ickerson having second thoughts i 216, C ncy Ci'j lingf ce, to is freeii nd Ck is ofU ted Hic| ygr on festivals non, Ululd wins Coven i., Mardl ball toi -ailabbl Jeffers i advam an bm hownaf iion is’! intend for n#l Can & ;perirw J l ik of tH ical, M Fole/sj ) Johnsj jrnatio®! j.s. H United Press International ist when Texas A&M coaches ght they could place the state’s [schoolboy running back on their tel like a prized trophy for four s, Eric Dickerson had second ights. es not going to sign with us,” &M spokesman said of the Ag- toe-stubbing on opening day of annual Southwest Conference all talent search. e told the coaches today he ted more time,” the spokesman speculating that no one — in- linglate suitors such as SMU — sign Dickerson today, hat’s what he told us, that he pldn’t sign with anyone just yet,” A&M spokesman said, think SMU has really put some sure on Eric,” the Houston Post ted a source as saying. “If they lid land Eric Dickerson along |i Craig James (Houston Strat- , they’d really have had a great uiting haul right there. ” fi d say it hurts a hell of a lot,” an M source said. “I thought we a firm commitment but I guess had second thoughts or some- i g '” lealy High School coach Ralph fris also confirmed the NCAA | investigating Dickerson in con- Ition with his acquisition of a 19 Pontiac Trans-Am. IThe NCAA says on paper it’s }n, Harris said. “But it’s poor ag whether it’s clean or not.” larris said he saw Dickerson ving the car the day the 6-3, 1-pound running back announced 3. The car reportedly was pur- jsed by a member of Dickerson’s lily. ' Today’s scholarship agreements are binding only within the SWC. A player is not fully guaranteed to a school until he signs a national letter Feb. 21. That means schools such as Okla homa and U SC — places Dickerson visited during the recruiting season — still have another week in which to lure Dickerson away from the Southwest Conference. But there are a lot of players other than Dickerson who will help SWC football programs next year and — as usual — every team in the league has some reason to be happy. It would appear, however, that Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and SMU are going to be happier than others. And while Texas is all but a cinch to land top-flight quarterback Rick Mdvor from Fort Stockton and Tech is expected to sign quarterback Mark James of Gregory-Portland, the big surprise of the recruiting race could be SMU. Mustangs coach Ron Meyer will not announce his signings today, choosing to wait until after the na tional signing date instead. But Meyer, who recruited what one in dependent judge of high school tal ent said was the 10th best high school class in the country last year, is privately ecstatic about SMU’s prospects this year. “It’s not just whether we will have one of the 10 best recruiting groups in the country,” Meyer has told one associate, “it’s a question of whether we will have one of the two best.” Among those who have commit ted to SMU are Craig James of Houston, the all-time running back leading rusher in Texas Class AAAA football, speed burner wide receiver Mitchell Bennett of Bonham and the play.er of the year , in , N.ew Mexico, quarterback Layne Walker of Clovis. In addition SMU hopes to land one of the top running backs in Ohio and two big linemen from Colorado. Besides Dickerson, if he signs, A&M should have the services of Gary Kubiak, one of the state’s lead ing quarterback prospects from Houston, and wide receiver Efer- ence Murphy of Texarkana. 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