University of Minnesota - Gopher Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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GENERAL SPORTS HISTORY: AT REST A SECOND HAND CHRONICLE Two years later Dave MacMillan took over as head coach. He stayed 21 years. His best year, though, came in 1937 when the Gophers tied wth Illinois for the conference title. Johnny Kundla, now head coach of the Minneapolis Lakers, played on the '37 team, along with Captain Dick Seebach, Gordie Spears anil Hutch Nash. MacMillan resigned in 1948 and was replaced by O .zie Cowles. Cowles' first season with Minnesota was his best—so far. The Gophers, led by Myer Skoog and Jim McIntyre, finished second in conference play. Like basketball, modern hockey at Minnesota has gone on a scoring binge. Minnesota hockey got started in 1921. The records show that at the end of the 1929 season the Gophers had played 89 games, in which they had scored 41 shutouts and held their opponents to an average of less than one goal per game. The ’30’s ushered in power hockey and several confer ence championships for the Gophers. They either won or shared eight titles between 1930 and 1940. In ‘39 the team featured such “greats as John Mariucci, Babe Paulsen, Frank St. Vincent and Hayden Pickering. The latter three scored 82 of the team’s 182 points in the season. The Gophers won all eight of their conference games that year. Hut (K rhaps the overall records of all these University teams are not really the important thing. What is probably more imjKjrtant to both players and fans is each game, meet, event or match. For regardless of what the sport is, the excitement of it lies in its pressing timeliness, its momentary suspense. A sports history at its best, therefore, can never be a satisfactory chronicle. It can onlv combine some of those exciting moments and serve them up second hand. Page 321

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University golf course, (nee high and model “ I cm. Women's athletics, baggy bloomer and blacl{ srlf( stocking era. FOOTBALL GREATS: MEMORABLE INCIDENTS OF THE GAME Dr. Clarence W. Spears took over as coach for the remainder of the decade. In five years his teams sustained only nine losses. Spears was an advocate of rugged, “knock-down” football, and he sometimes had difficulty in finding opponents. In 1926 Minnesota had to play Michigan twice to complete the slate. The Gophers finally brought home the Little Brown Jug the following year after an eight-season absence. And in 1928 all-American Bronko Nagurski made his debut. Fritz Crislcr’s 1930-31 tenure was uneventful, except that his first year was the Gopher’s | oorcst in a decade. But in 1932 the era of Bernie Bicrman began. Bierman was to dominate the national football scene for the next ten years. All-Americans like Bud Wilkinson, Bruce Smith, George Franck and Dick Wildung played during these years. And there were some memorable incidents. Horace Bell kicked a 45-yard field goal in 1936 and in the same year Bud Wilkinson lateralled to Andy Uram who ran almost the length of the field to beat Nebraska in the final 68 seconds of play. The year 1950 meant the end of Bierman football at Minnesota and the beginning, perhaps, of a new era — that of Wes Feslcr. Basketball at Minnesota hit the big time in 1919 when the Gophers came through with the only undefeated season in their history— 13 wins, no losses. The team, headed by the late Dr. |. L. Cooke, averaged 30.4 points per game (a fairly high average in those days), while the op| onenis averaged 16.1. Toughest game of the season was with Indiana. The Gophers won, 20-14. Page 320

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Williams arena echoes with wild cheers during NCAA playoff between the University of Kentucky and Kansas State college. A thletlie Adrninistration Coaching and Service for Varsity Men When a school has 12 athletic teams competing in B1 events a year there’s lots of administrating to be done. The job is handled by nearly 60 staff members of the University’s department of physical education and athletics. In addition to coaching and serving over 1,000 varsity athletes during the year, the department offers many phy cd courses and helps conduct many high school events. The 1950 NCAA track meet, the 1951 NCAA basketball tournament finals and tbe Big Ten swimming meet also were held at Minnesota. Last year more than 9,000 students, faculty members and employees took part in the department's intramural program. Ike Armstrong, who replaced Frank McCormick in July, 1950, after IS years as athletic director, is the man in charge of what amounts to a $750,000 program. Lou Keller is assistant director, and Professor Henry Kottschacfcr, of the law school, the faculty representative. Minnesota is said to have the nation’s finest athletic plant. Memorial stadium, Williams arena, the Indoor Sports building and Cooke hall are its main structures. Over $4 million has been invested in the plant, mostly obtained from athletic receipts. P«gc 322