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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 14, 1989)
t 1 \ * 9 The Battalion SPORTS Tuesday, February 14,1989 Slocum hires pair to complete staff FROM STAFF & WIRE REPORTS Texas A&M Head Football Coach R.C. Slocum on Monday hired two coaches with strong reputations as recruiters to complete his staff in time to prepare for spring workouts which begin March 2<J. Offensive Line Coach Mike Sher man and Receivers Coach Robert Ford replace former A&M assistants Joe Avezzano and George Pugh. Pugh and Avezzano were fired in December for their involvement in the George Smith scandal which led to the resignation of former Head Coach Jackie Sherrill. Both coaches have been top re cruiters in previous jobs. Sherman comes to A&M from Holy Cross where he served as of fensive coordinator for the 1988 sea son in addition to his duties as offen sive line coach. During his four years at Holy Cross, the Crusaders went 30-3 in the past three seasons. He also coached the offensive line at the University of Pittsburgh and Tulane. Sherman has a reputation as an excellent recruiter and tactician and has coached several linemen who went on to professional football careers. Ford is the former receivers coach at Tech where he coached one of the nation’s top units last season during his one-year stint in Lubbock. Ford plaved college football at the University of Houston and caught a pair of 99-yard touchdown passes during his college career. He is the only player in NCAA history to ac complish that feat. Ford coached receivers at New Mexico while also serving as recruit ing coordinator for the Lobos dur ing a three-year stay there. He sub sequently coached at Oregon State, Mississippi State, Houston of the United States Football League and the University of Kansas. Slocum said Monday he was pleased to complete his staff and praised the men for their coaching ability and experience. “Both of them possess the out standing qualities that I was looking for to fill these two important posi tions.'* Slocum said. Landry shakes up coaching staff Cowboy coach replaces Hackett, Stautner with new coaches IRVING (AP) — Dallas Coach Tom Landry, stung by a 3-13 season and a last-place finish in the NFL. replaced defensive coordinator Er nie Stautner and pass coordinator Paul Hackett on Monday, then hinted he might be with the Cow boys into the 1990s. Landry hired George Hill as de fensive coordinator and Jerry Rhome as quarterbacks coach. Stautner. the Cowboys' defensive coordinator for 20 years, was reas signed to work on special projects and will retire after the 1989 season. Landry said. Rhome. who wras offensive coordi nator for San Diego last season, re places Paul Hackett. who has been reassigned to work on special pro jects for the club. “ITI try to find Paul a job with an other club with what he does best, coordinating an offense,** Landry said. Hackett. who joined Dallas in 1986 from San Francisco, is cur rently working on special projects. Hill, who was fired after the 1988 season with the Indianapolis Colts, was defensive coordinator under Coach Ron Meyer for four seasons. Stautner joined the Cowboys in 1966 as defensive line coach follow ing two years as a player-coach. “I can’t say too much for the con tribution that Ernie made with the Cowboys,” Landry said. "We had some great seasons and some great Super Bowls. He called every de fensive play. Sometime you have to make changes.” Stautner took the change well. “1 can understand that Tom had to change up the defense,” Stautner said. “I rn looking forward to help ing out in any way I can.” Landry admitted he had philo sophical differences with Hackett. “I think we’re still friends,” Landry said. Landrv said with the coaching changes he might stay on past next year. ”1 never said 1 wouldn't be around after next season." Landry said. “If I can find somebody (an owner) who wants me. then I might be available. 1 told my new coaches this. ”1 have no intention of retiring unless it is forced upon me. I feel good. I survived the onslaught of last season.” Landry said he is trying to build the Cowboys back into the power they were in the 1970s. “Mv objective is to go out with the Cowboys headed into the right di rection,” Landry said. “I want to see us turn it around this next year. I'm on the bottom and 1 want to go up.” Landry said he will pay more at tention to the offense next year and let Hill work a 3-4 defense into the Cowboys' scheme. Dallas was 26th in the NFL last season in points allowed. Asked if his famed four-man line “flex" defense was dead. Landry said. "You might sav it’s nicked up some. 1 don’t see the 'flex’ as the main part of our defense next vear.” Landry likes Hill because his de fenses bend but don't break. His 1987 Indianapolis team al lowed only a league-low 238 points. “His defenses don’t give up the big play and that's what has been killing us." Landry said. “He plays a lot olzone.' Landry also announced he will go to UCLA soon to see quarterback Troy Aikman and decide if he is the Cowboys’ No. 1 pick. “IH go to UCLA to look at him personiuly,” Landry said. “If we do decide to take him we'd like to get him in Dallas by April. But it would be a miracle if we signed him early. ” Landrv also has to hire a running backs coach after Al Lavan accepted a similar position with San Francisco on Fridav. Billie Matthews, who lost his job with the Kansas City Chiefs, is ex pected to be hired to replace l^avan. Sooners, Longhorns demean themselves by being braggarts The University of Oklahoma isn't necessarily popular in this part of Texas. But lake a three-hour drive north, or beyond, and Boomer Sooners get as thick as Longhorn lovers are just west of here. When you get up in those parts, you find there's kind of a pride that goes along with being an Okie — especially those that have been forced to cross the border into Texas. Ask almost anyone in the Texas Panhandle (including those in Panhandle. Texas) and the natives will claim that Oklahoma is not pan of the United States — but a separate entity altogether. Not surprisingly. Okies stranded in Texas will say the same about their present state. When it gets down to it, the main cause of all these rivalries is not which state has the most beautiful higuway scenery or the best fishing holes. And they could both care less who has the largest state product or which one entered the union first. All nonsense.' The real rivalry has been established where pride makes some of its biggest and ugliest faces-r on the playing field. Not just any field, though. There is only one rivalry that stirs up the states enough to be newsworthy — the University of Texas versus the University of Oklahoma. Let me be dear. Mosi evei yone else in these states, whether they are related to the schools or not, can be caused to have the hair on their neck raised with just the mention of one of these schools antics. But Texas and OU are the ones responsible for all the hair-raising. What I mean by antics is something a <r . Texas or OU representative says or does that they see as normal but at least mildly disturbs everyone else. For example. Brian Bosworth's haircut. It's hard to point a finger at either school for surting the raucus. Who knows when it kicked up. But neither school is gaining respect from the other or the rest of us by sunders. One thing that gets people so irate is the boastful pride associated with Texap and OU. Their attitudes show signs of dontempt for “lessers" all around the states aild even the rest of the country. V-N Take OU basketball coach Billy Tibbs' comment after beating No. 1-ranked^ Arizona in a basketball game Sunday. When asked ii iiis team was the best in the country, he said, “When you really got down to it. and I had to be fair. I'd probably put us in there." I don’t knock Tubbs. He's just a coach there that has fallen into the overall attitude problem at OU. Again, who know’s who started it. The same thing goes on at Texas. With the suit of baseball season, the Longhorns have in their midst the source of one of their greatest boasts. Their baseball team has been racking up wins for years. They play with a lot of confidence (known as cockiness to others), and there fans ascribe the greatness of the ball team to themselves when shouting out insults to teams less blessed in the win column. What's the point to all of this pride? There is no point. I don’t believe guys like Bosworth are bad apples. I just think they get caught up in trying to prove they are somebody bigger than they really are. Sorry old peer pressure. Texas and OU have such a reputation to keep up that the entire communities of the universities — athletes, coaches, fans, faculty, supporters, you name it — have to continually boast to make sure they still look good to everyone else. In fact. Oklahoma used to get along just fine without it. I’ve heard stories of the seniors on the OU football team unloading a freshman quarterback's car for him when he first arrived at the school in the late 1950’s. Then they took him out to eat. It's sickening. But there’s not a lot that can be done about it. especially by a lone Aggie columnist. All 1 have to offer is to ask A&M not to let it spread. Can you imagine Brian Bosworth or Jamelle Holieway carrying anyones bags up dormitory stairs? 1 can — in an environment othei*than Norman,* Oklahoma. Simply, realize that your athletes are only people and your school only an institution. We’re here, we picked A&M. Why care if otlrUnage is better than anyofte elses, including Texas and OU? £*IcivnHali Welcomes RCA/NOVUS RECORDING ARTIST NEW AGE PIANIST St. Valentines Day Tuesday, February 14 ■ Rudder Theatre 8:00 P.M. Tickets $6.00 Limited number of carnations will be given out at the door. Tickets Available At MSC Box Office For More Information Call 845-1234 STUDY ABROAD OFFICU STUDY IN ENGLAND AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER Semester and Year Programs for U ndergraduates and Graduates INFORMATIONAL MEETING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2:30-3:30 p.m. ROOM 229 MSC STUDY ABROAD OmCE. I«l BIZZELL WIST. COLUCE STATION. TX («Ot) S4S-0S44 OPEN BAR 8-10Tues.-Sat. W HAPPY VAl€NTIN€ SASH Match your heart with CASH & PRIZES OPEN BAR 8-10 Plus FREE Champaign ^ After 10:00... If $1.00 Passion Punch All Night 2501 S. Texas Winn Dixie Center 693-EDGE pr MSC Political Forum CAPITOLIZE ON YOUR SPRING BREAK WASHINGTON, D.C. $415 price includes airfare, hotel Itinerary in Progress: We are planning a number of governmental, social and cultural activities which Promise to make tlie trip both educational and enjoyable. Possible activities include visits with senators, congressmen, and other government figures, tours of the Pentagon. FBI. and other prominent sites. There will also be free time for personal excursions. Payment in full is due February 25th. The trip is open to everyone. Vi INFORMATIONAL MEETING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 228 MSC 6:00*7:00 pm or for more information call 845-1515 I alpha phi 1 1 sorority [ \ Open House “Y Tuesday, February 14 Valentines Day 6:30-8:00 Alpha Phi House A<I> 1401 Athens Dr Call for more Information 696-1144 Bring A Friend Dr*M Casual