FOLLOWING THE BIG GREEN TEAMS
Typewritten statements which Harry R. Heneage distributed exactly at noon on Wednesday, January 17, sent Hanover correspondents scurrying for telephones to break the news that Earl H. (Red) Blaik, brilliant young backfield assistant at West Point, had been appointed head coach of Dartmouth football for the next two seasons. The announcement, made simultaneously in New York by Eddie Dooley, a member of the Dartmouth Athletic Council, also contained the news that Blaik had named and secured as his assistants Harry O. (Fats) Ellinger, the equally capable young Army line coach, and Andrew F. (Andy) Gustafson, renowned backfield assistant to Jock Sutherland at Pittsburgh. To complete what the Dartmouth campus hailed as a "new deal" in football, the Athletic Council announced that Coach Blaik would soon name a man of his own choice to coach freshman football in Hanover.
Shortly after Blaik's selection had been disclosed at the athletic offices, The Dartmouth was on the streets with an extra, and an enthusiastic reception was given to the news that such an outstanding staff had been assembled for the restoration of football prowess. Statements were issued by football leaders past and present, and praise for the new coaches and for the judgment of the Athletic Council soon swelled into one great chorus. Football was the only topic of the day in Hanover, and the fact that the Athletic Council had taken a very radical step in selecting the first outside coach since 1899 was practically overlooked in the pervading jubilation which greeted the names o£ Blaik, Gustafson, and Ellinger, all of whom had been suggested for the head coach's job.
The selection of Blaik as first choice out of a list of 106 suggested names was made by the Athletic Council after an all-day meeting in Boston on Sunday, January 14. It brought to a close six weeks of intensive and conscientious work on the part of the Council to sound out alumni and undergraduate opinion and to pick a man ex to Dartmouth's needs. In going outside of alumni ranks for its new football leader, the Athletic Council followed the expressed opinion of the large majority of alumni and undergraduates, and the advent of Earl Blaik and his noted assistants will mark, it is believed, a new and successful football regime at Dartmouth.
Coach Blaik is not well known to the rank and file of football fans, but among coaches, sports writers, and other informed football men he is reputed to have been the constant factor in the success of Army teams under the past three regimes. A smart strategist, he has worked behind the scenes at West Point to build up the fast, deceptive attack and sound defensive play which have characterized Army elevens under "Biff" Jones, Ralph Sasse, and Gar Davidson. Along with his knowledge of the game, his ability to teach it has been praised by all the coaches under whom he has worked.
Ellinger, Dartmouth's new line coach, has also been given a large share of the credit for Army's showing during the past six years. His ability to turn out strong forward units received particular attention last season when he took a group of mediocre candidates and developed them into one of the most powerful lines in the country. Gustafson is another assistant coach who has been a prime factor in the success of the teams with which he has worked. The effectiveness of Pittsburgh's offense attests to Gustafson's unusual talent, and he should fit in excellently with Blaik and Ellinger, since all three have been teaching Warner football. There have been some modifications of the Warner system at both West Point and Pittsburgh, but the two institutions have been playing the same type of game fundamentally. In all, Dartmouth now has one of the ablest, and one of the youngest, coaching staffs in the countrv.
Jack Cannell's successor is 37 years old and comes from Dayton, Ohio, where he is in business with his father. He graduated in 1918 from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, and while there was selected all-conference end in the Ohio Conference. From Miami he went to West Point where he made a brilliant record as a student and all-round athlete, winning the sabre for outstanding achievements in academic and athletic work. He was named end on Walter Camp's third team in 1919. Blaik graduated from West Point with the "war class" in 1920, and served as a lieutenant in the cavalry at Fort Riley and Fort Bliss. He resigned from the service in 1922 to enter business with his father in Dayton, and the fact that he is not in the service precludes his being anything more than an assistant coach at West Point.
Blaik began his coaching career in 1925 when he went to Wisconsin as an aide to George Little, under whom he had played at Miami. In 1927 he was called to West Point to assist "Biff" Jones as backfield coach, a position which he retained under Major Sasse and Lieutenant Davidson. Under these Army coaches Blaik built up his reputation as the strategist behind the scene, and no offers, until that from Dartmouth came along, had been able to tempt him away from the Point.
New Head Coach Earl H. Blaik, assistant at West Point since 1927, chosen Jack Cannell's successor in Big Green football post.
Backfield Coach Andy Gustafson, Pitt star and coach, who will have charge of Big Green backs under Coach Blaik.
Line Coach Harry Ellinger who comes to Dartmouth from the Army this year, where he has worked with "Red" Blaik.
