Football Staff Remade

THERE'S a new look around the football office this spring ... but it promises to have that familiar winning countenance come fall.

The first major break in the Bob Blackman coaching family since its arrival here in 1955 occurred in January. Line coach Jack Musick accepted the head coaching job at Cornell.

One of the most popular and capable men in Big Green gridiron history, Jack had been Blackman's chief assistant since their Monrovia (Calif.) High coaching days in 1947. Bob brought him to Dartmouth from Denver along with backfield coach Will Volz and freshman coach Earl Hamilton. Two years ago Volz resigned his staff job to become Assistant Director of Physical Education at Dartmouth but he has stayed active as a top scout during the season.

Hamilton, whose freshman teams were noted for play execution and a winning percentage of .650, was promoted to varsity end coach and backfield coach in February. But since Musick took freshman line coach Chuck Ramsey to Cornell with him and since end coach Joe Yukica, another man with a big football future, accepted the head coaching job at New Hampshire, Blackman had several vacancies to fill.

To replace Musick, he chose John Petercuskie who, over the past six years, has compiled probably the most successful high school coaching record in the nation. Competing against top level schoolboy teams in the Bucks County League outside Philadelphia, John's Neshaminy High squads won 59 games, lost only one, and tied five. His only loss since 1960 was a 13-7 defeat by Easton High in the third game of his 1961 campaign. "We led until the final four minutes," recalls Petercuskie ruefully.

Petercuskie, 41, is a native of Old Forge, Pa. He served three years in the Marines, including duty as a sergeant in Okinawa, before attending East Stroudsberg Teachers College. A former All-State guard John taught tough, singlewing football at Neshaminy. "Besides being defensive line coach he'll scout Princeton for us," said Blackman.

The new defensive end and linebacker coach is an old Princeton, Bob Casciola. All-Ivy League tackle in 1957, Bob will be remembered for the outstanding game he played against Dartmouth in the snow that year, the game which cost the Green an undefeated season and gave Princeton the Ivy title.

A native of New Hyde Park, N. Y., Casciola stayed at his alma mater after graduation in 1958 as freshman line coach. Since 1961 he has been Princeton's varsity end coach and Harvard scout. He'll continue in that capacity here.

These appointments brought the varsity football staff to six, including head coach Blackman, offensive line coach John Anderson, defensive backfield coach Jake Crouthamel, defensive line coach Petercuskie, offensive end and backfield coach Hamilton, and defensive end and linebacker coach Casciola.

Coach Blackman with Jack Musick (r)who has been named head coach at Cornell, and Joe Yukicka (c) who is alsoleaving to become head coach at the University of New Hampshire.

Earl Hamilton

Bob Casciola

John Petercuskie