University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

THLETIC DIRECTOR BENNIE ' S After leading Michigan to a smashing victory in the 1948 Rose Bowl, and being acclaimed as the Coach of the Year, Fritz Crisler retired from the head coaching job to turn all his attention to the task of athletic administration here at the University. In his position as Director of Athletics, the distin- guished Crisler has his hand on the very pulse of Michigan sports. He is supreme commander at the State Street Athletic Administration Office, and it is his full responsibility to coordinate the function- ings of the whole coaching staff with those of the publicity office and the ticket sales staff. His keen business sense and his executive ability have earned him a national reputation for efficiency, and have won for him a great feeling of respect in Western Conference circles. One of Crisler ' s biggest projects at the present time is the complete overhauling of the Wolverine athletic plant. He is planning a new club house on the golf course, a new hockey arena to replace the ancient coliseum, and a modern fieldhouse to ac- commodate the ever increasing student body. The expansion program is already underway, with an addition to the stadium scheduled to be erected before next football season. The new seats will increase the capacity of the huge bowl to 97,000, and will place it in the ranks of the largest stadia STAFF The staff that built a National Champion! Ooster- baan, of course, was the head man, and Jack Blott handled the line. George Ceithaml, as backfield coach, was the man behind the famous Michigan single-wing attack, while Bill Orwig tutored the ends. Cliff Keen handled the 150 pounders, Ernie McCoy was chief scout, and the inimitable and articulate Wally Weber had charge of the freshmen. Don Rob- inson coached the JV squad, but it took the whole staff, working as a unit, to turn out one of the finest grid machines of all time. P* Bennie Oosterbaan, Jack Blott, George Ceithaml, Bill Orwig, Cliff Keen, Ernie McCoy, Wally Weber, Don Robinson