Fritz Quits

The last item on the Michigan athletic board's agenda had been cleared away when Fritz Crisler added: "There's just one more matter." He had a small announcement to make: Football Coach-of-the-Year Crisler, whose undefeated Big Nine champions had rolled through Southern California (49-0) in the Rose Bowl, was through with coaching. There was a moment's silence, then a board member cracked: "Fritz, we didn't know you were getting that old."

It wasn't age: Herbert Orrin Crisler is only 49. But he had coached Wolverine football for ten years, and it looked like a good time to quit. He would stay on as Michigan's athletic director, and he had picked his successor: Benjamin G. (Bennie) Oosterbaan, 47, a Michigan football immortal, three-time All-America end. A native Michigander, hulking, jocular Oosterbaan has been on Michigan's coaching staff ever since he graduated ('27).

Yale had to go farther afield for a football coach to replace Howie Odell, who quit for more money at the University of Washington. The Eli choice: able, 300-lb. Herman Hickman, 36, the man behind the Army lines. As Earl Blaik's assistant, Tennessee-born Hickman was as proud as a lion tamer of his viciously charging cadet lines (he called them affectionately "Mah Rowdies").

Indiana University picked one of Alvin ("Bo") McMillin's playing and coaching proteges to succeed him: mild, schoolmasterly Clyde B. Smith, 42, onetime Indiana line coach, now head coach at La Crosse (Wis.) State Teachers College.

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