On the Other Side

BOB BLACKMAN, while in Hanover last May for a meeting of the Ivy League athletic directors and football coaches, was looking for rooms. Because of the coaching staff changeover, the Cornell University football team had no lodging reservations for its October 22 game at Dartmouth. Anonymously, Blackman telephoned around the area only to find every place booked solid. A bemused Blackman finally asked why. "It's alumni weekend," an innkeeper told him, "and everyone is coming back to see the old coach taking his lumps."

The winningest coach in Dartmouth history is back on the Ivy League scene this fall after a six-year absence. But the man who logged a 104-37-3 record, seven Ivy League championships, and two Lambert Trophies during his 16 years at Dartmouth will be pacing the sidelines in front of Memorial Field's East Stands as Cornell's head coach.

"From every standpoint, I'm happy to come back to the Ivy League and Cornell," says the 58-year-old Blackman. "During my years at Dartmouth I built up kind of a strong feeling against some schools where I knew I could never coach. Yet Cornell seemed somewhat different to me. I felt it had the same type of atmosphere and the same kind of campus as Dartmouth had."

When Blackman became head coach at Dartmouth in 1955 he received a telegram from Red Blaik, who had coached at Dartmouth from 1934 to 1940 before moving on to his alma mater, West Point. Blaik told Blackman that the seven happiest years of his life were spent in Hanover. "Well, the 16 happiest years of my life were the 16 years at Dartmouth," says Blackman.

Blackman left Dartmouth after the 1970 season when his third undefeated team had outpointed nine foes, 311-42, and had been voted champion of the East. His teams had lost only one game in two years and his spectacular overall Ivy League mark of 79-42-2 was best among his fellow Ancient Eight coaches.

He became head coach at the University of Illinois. "I felt not much else could be accomplished at Dartmouth then," Blackman explains. "If ever there was going to be a time to move on that was it. Illinois, which had a 2-19 Big Ten record the previous three years, seemed like a big challenge, a challenge which appealed to me so much."

Blackman's time at Illinois was not a happy one. Inheriting a rock bottom program, he guided the Illini to a 29-36-1 overall mark during the six seasons, but lost II consecutive games to the Big Two of the conference. (Overall, Illinois had a respectable 24-23-1 record in the Big Ten.) "We weren't getting any closer to Michigan and Ohio State for a combination of reasons," Blackman concedes. He was dismissed as head coach of Illinois in November.

His legacy lives on in the Ivy League, despite his absence. Coaches Jake Crouthamel of Dartmouth, John Anderson of Brown, and Bob Casciola of Prihceton are former Blackman assistants at Dartmouth. Other Blackman aides who now hold head coaching jobs are Joe Yukica of Boston College and Jim Root of William and Mary. "I'm just pleased and proud that my former assistants have done so well," says Blackman. "Even Jake probably doesn't know this, but I've been his strongest rooter for the past six years and I've taken pride in his accomplishments."

Crouthamel was a star two-way halfback for Blackman from 1957-59 and returned to Dartmouth in 1965 to join the Big Green coaching staff, serving as Blackman's senior assistant during the latter's final two years in Hanover. Crouthamel, who has a 35-17-2 coaching record and three Ivy League titles since succeeding his mentor, was asked if he had any feelings about Blackman returning to the league - this time as an opposing coach. "I don't have any. I will the week of October 22, but I have none now," says Crouthamel.

"They'll be a better-drilled team, better organized, and eventually have better talent," adds Crouthamel of the Cornell squad. "When he was here Blackman did things that very few people were doing in the country. He was innovative, especially as far as recruiting was concerned. You win with talent. It's the people who run the plays who win the games."

Blackman says he will be returning to Hanover with "a certain feeling of trepidation." He points out that Dartmouth, which swamped Cornell, 35-0, at Ithaca last year will be stronger this season. "Cornell has the fewest first string players returning, the fewest number of lettermen returning and the least help coming up from the freshmen," he claims. "We face a major rebuilding job."

He declines to say how many years he will need to turn around the football program at Ithaca: "Success in football is not just one thing, it's a combination of a great many things. It's recruiting, the atmosphere on campus, the type of spirit, alumni assistance, and the attitude and dedication of the students. I can't even begin to predict how many games the Big Red team will win, but I think Cornell will field a hustling, spirited team that will be fun to watch."

More than 15,000 of Dartmouth's 36,000 living alumni - members of the classes of 1956 to 1974 - had an opportunity to see a Blackman-coached football team in action during their undergraduate years. He also has many friends among the older alumni ranks and the Dartmouth community. "Every time I turned around, I bumped into old friends," he says of his spring visit to Hanover. But he is also aware of the realities of his profession as he looks ahead to the Dartmouth-Cornell game. "I know they'll be rooting for the Big Green and I can understand that. It's natural. I've always had a strong feeling for Dartmouth. Naturally, it'll feel strange to go back there and be on the other side of the field."

With the Big Red, Bob Blackman lost his opening game (against Penn). Back in1956 he lost his opener with the Big Green, too. But things rapidly got better.