THE BATTALION Page 13
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1979
Bellard, Robertson off to MSU
ineens
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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
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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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