University of Virginia Library

Three Aides Join Staff,
Pros To Help In Spring

By DOUG DOUGHTY

Reacting quickly in the
wake of the resignation of
three of his assistant coaches
during the past month, head
Cavalier football coach Don
Lawrence announced Thursday
the signing of three new aides.

By far the most
important gentleman is Joe
Mark, a 1951 graduate of
William and Mary, who brings
some 16 years of college
coaching experience to this
new position in charge of the
defense. Mr. Mark spent two
years immediately after
graduation helping out at
William and Mary and later
spent eight years at North
Carolina, two at Navy and
spent the last three years
working under the Roy Lester
regime at Maryland.

There's probably a good
chance that you've never heard
of Mr. Mark, which is neither a
credit or discredit to his
reputation. On the other hand,
Mr. Lawrence was glad to
announce that Jim Copeland, a
five-year veteran for the
Cleveland Browns, and Norman
Snead, who has been a starting
quarterback for three NFL
clubs and has recently been
traded to the Giants, will assist
during this spring's practice.

Whereas Mr. Snead will limit
his stint as a Cavalier assistant
to a week of intensive
indoctrination with the Wahoo
quarterbacks during the spring
campaign, Mr. Copeland's
contract will enable him to
become a full-time member of
the staff until June, at which
time he will start preparing to
return to the Browns.

In his press conference,
Thursday, Mr. Lawrence also
announced that titles of
offensive and defensive
coordinator, carryovers from
George Blackburn's regime,
will be abandoned and
Lawrence himself will oversee
the offense. As assistant in
charge of the defense, Mark
should theoretically become
top aide in the football
program.

During an interview with
The Cavalier Daily two weeks
ago, Mr. Lawrence expressed
his preference for a defensive
assistant with eight or nine
years experience on the college
level. Joe Mark fits the bill.
During his eight years at UNC,
he coached the defense for
three years, the freshmen for
one, and the offense for four
years.

In addition to his coaching
credentials, Mr. Mark is a noted
recruiter. During his tenure at
UNC, Mark was responsible for
the signing of Ken Willard and
Chris Hanburger as Tar Heel
recruits. Most recently he was
in charge of the offensive line
at Maryland.

Although Snead will
conduct little more than a
clinic with the prospective
Wahoo signal callers, Copeland
not only expects to aide
Turnley Todd in coaching the
offensive line, but is due to
conduct some extensive
recruiting in Virginia state high
schools, "at some of the same
schools I played against in high
school". Born and bred in
Charlottesville, Copeland
attended Lane High School.

During the past season,
Copeland performed admirably
for the Browns, who copped
the Central Division title of the
AFC. Dividing his time
between center and guard, Mr.
Copeland suffered a mild
concussion against Baltimore in
AFC playoff action, and his
injury dealt a serious blow to
the Brown offensive line. The
Colts went on to defeat the
Browns, but relinquished their
AFC title to the Miami
Dolphins.

When queried as to the
likelihood of further additions
to the coaching alignment, Mr.
Lawrence replied, "We're going
to bring in someone but we're
in no big hurry. The staff we
have right now can finish
recruiting and prepare for
spring practice." Elated at the
chance to bring such men to
the Cavalier program,
Lawrence seems anxious to
begin spring practice,
tentatively scheduled for
March 22.