University of Virginia Library

The Search

Even before the announcement of the
firing of former head football coach, George
Blackburn, the search began for his
replacement. Whoever this man may be, he
will play a critical role in directing the future
thrust of athletics on the Grounds along with
newly hired Gene Corrigan, Director of
Intercollegiate Athletics. His arrival will bring
either a big business football approach or a
more genuine, more realistic athletic program.

As we stated Thursday, the next coach for
football at the University should be a man
aware of both the educational principles upon
which this institution was founded and of the
intangibles that have made this community a
cohesive unit in which ideas and opinions are
exchanged among diverse individuals. He
should realize that a "successful" football
program entails more than just winning games
against the best competition. He should be
instructed that although the University would
like to field a winning team, it is unwilling to
sacrifice in any way, either the academic
well-being or the spirit of the University. If
separate dormitories for players, lower
academic entrance standards, special physical
education courses, or unwritten bonuses are
needed to attract super players and field top
ten teams, then we would rather play a less
professional schedule.

We should also reevaluate our position in
the Atlantic Coast Conference in light of recent
efforts by such member schools as the
University of South Carolina and North
Carolina State University to lower academic
standards and remove the stopgaps on athletic
financial packages in order to put the
Conference on the same level as the Big Ten
or the Southeastern Conference. We should
not just blindly try to "revitalize our position
in Atlantic Coast Conference football"
without examining the implications of such a
move.

We are not advocating mediocrity in
athletics. We do not wish to say thumbs down
on every ambitious, winning football coach.
We are only stating our desire to see the hiring
of a man who will realize that if there is no
way to win against the top teams in the
country without professional football tactics,
then it will be necessary to tone down our
schedule. Certainly he should be a man more
concerned with the experience that the young
men who participate in intercollegiate sports
take away from the practice and contest than
just the results chalked up on the board.

To guarantee that the University hires an
acceptable man for the position, a job which
has broad implications for the University, we
believe that both students and faculty should
play an active role in his selection. These
students and faculty would not judge the
candidates' technical athletic record and
football strategy, rather his character and his
attitudes toward the demand that this
University will not go into the professional
football business.