St Cloud State Teachers College - Talahi Yearbook (St Cloud, MN)

Page 9 text:

:im fl,-if Wills! W' ,mm i fl W 'G - ' gg mg fill 5? ww lizsswggll gy il MTR? m22z22m2- ,., ,5 , f, ------ 2 A 4 is gi ml g K T, 5 -- -- ' 5 'ap Zfizfa E Q H 5. Z 1253255535 H 3125K ' ll 'Hi 1 ..,, 7 4.,, 'H ,, 1122219522 Y ,,' . f w sizir it L -I M , , if 2 Q1 1 1+ 2- 1 n signals desperately for a time out . . . V ..- 'iw . . . then smiles at the piospect ol .mothei Huskie victory QU' l 4 Z qi

Page 8 text:

6a'Z'0aIfZ'072.' To Marlowe 'fRed Severson Several years ago a college scribe flatly declared that St. Cloud State could thank its basketball team for put- ting this tiny institution on the map . Turning his back on the school's academic strength, the young journalist impolitely wrote, that even though the political hacks over in Stewart Hall won't admit it, athletics, and not education, have given our college its name. Soon thereafter the administration decided that the fiery sportswriter had overstated his case. And they weren't particularly enamored with his choice of words. Needless to say, his pen was silenced. Another person who must have taken strong excep- tion to these words was Marlowe f'Red Severson, the very man at whom this lavish praise was directed. Red Severson has been the head basketball coach at St. Cloud State since 1958. To him goes much of the credit for the tremendous success, and subsequent prestige, that Huskie hardcourt teams have achieved. RedH loves to win. And he is fiercely proud of the repu- tation his athletes have built both for themselves and the college. But Red Severson is also an educator. He has dedi- cated the whole of his professional life to the develop- ment of character . . . even at the expense of victory. Red remains convinced that the old adage, It's not who wins or loses but how the game is played, is still pretty sound. Red Severson is not a man who would long stay at a college where athletics, and not academics, was the strong suit. By the same token, however, Red made sure that his school's athletic progress never lagged far behind its educational growth. Red doesn't believe that one should be sacrificed for the other. Coach Severson became head basketball coach at SCS in the fall of 1958. Chosen to replace retiring-mentor Paul Meadows, Red,' came here highly recommended after five winning seasons in the prep ranks. The first I-Iuskie quintet fielded by Red Severson, in 1958-59, set a new school record with 20 victories in 25 games and captured the NSCC championship. The following year Red led his charges to 21 wins and a share of the league crown. And so it went. With amazing suddenness, St. Cloud State had be- come a powerhouse in small college basketball. The seven-year regime of Red Severson had produced six conference championships and a host of post-season fringe benefits. On two occasions Coach Severson has taken his athletes to Kansas City, Missouri, where they represented District 13 in the NAIA tourney. Red's overall record after 166 games as head bas- ketball coach at SCS is a brilliant l28-38- a success story without equal in Minnesota college coaching circles. The story of Red Severson, the educator, does not read with quite the color as does the tale of Red the coach. For classroom successes, unlike court triumphs, do not lend themselves to a simple statistical breakdown. Yet, to tell of the redhead's achievements in the arena while making no mention of the other, is to tell but half of the story. When Red joined the St. Cloud State faculty in 1958, he became both head varsity basketball coach and an instructor in physical education. Today, seven years and six hardcourt championships later, he has advanced to the rank of assistant professor. Also, earlier this year he was appointed assistant director of athletics. During recent years, Red has written a number of articles on basketball coaching for athletic periodicals. He is recognized throughout the country as being one of the truly outstanding basketball technicians. In the off-season, Red is much in demand on the lecture circuit. During 1963-64 he addressed gatherings at the University of Minnesota, Kansas State University, Valley City College and Bemidji State College. This is Marlowe Red Severson, the coach and the educator. To this man who has developed a champion- ship basketball team here on the banks of Mississippi, but who has never forgotten that athletics supplement academics and do not overshadow them, we dedicated the 1966 Talahi. In game with Mankato this year, Red points out an infraction . . .

Page 10 text:

-...---v 35241, n, ggw ffm