Jim O'Hora, whom Joe Paterno refers to as "one of the great people in Penn State athletic history," retires tomor row from a coaching career at Penn State that began in 1946. New pilot pleases Leafs' brass TORONTO (AP) Roger Neilson never played professional hockey but his years of coaching successes have paid off in a contract to coach the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League. "When you look at players Neilson coached in junior hockey who are in the NHL now, you see that they're excellent technical players," Leafs captain Darryl Sittler said yesterday after the club announced the appointment of Neilson to replace Red Kelley, who was dismissed earlier this month. "Neilson has been one of the leading candidates for the job all along," said club owner Harold Ballard. "We were very impressed with the development of our young players under his coaching last season in Dallas. "Neilson has been a coach who has demanded discipline from his players and he's been a teacher, both professionally and in hockey. His reports on players in Dallas were the best I've ever seen." Neilson, a 43-year-old Toronto native who spends his summers at a cottage near Peterborough, managed and coached minor hockey and baseball teams since he was a teenager. He started as coach of the Peterborough club in the Ontario Hockey Association major junior A series during the 1967-68 season and under his guidance the team never finished worse I han third and once won the Ontario championship. Some of the excellent technical players developed by Neilson at Peterborough included Bob Gainey and Doug Jarvis, now with the NHL Montreal Canadiens and Craig Ramsay of the Buffalo Sabres. Last season, Neilson coached the Dallas Black Hawks in the Tickets remain for 3 home grid tilts - Hark! There are a limited athletic business manager number of tickets remaining 'Vilnala Meredith 'said. for three, count 'em, three If you are interested in the Penn State HOME football tickets, you should in great games. haste send a check to the Four of the seven scheduled Penn State Ticket Office, 237 home affairs have been of- Recreation Building, ficially sold out, but tickets University Park, Pa. 16802. are still available for Tickets are $8 each. Add a Houston, Sept. 17, Utah State, buck on each ticket for Oct. 8 and Miami, Oct. 29. mailing and handling charges and make those checks A lottery system was used payable to "The Penn to determine who got tickets sylvania State University." for the other home games but Tickets also remain for since Houston, Miami and road games with Rutgers, Utah State did not require as Sept. 2, Syracuse, Oct. 15, many for their fans, some North Carolina State, Nov. 5, tickets still are remaining, and Pittsburgh, Nov. 19. p ime Elm EN imi 111111 MI EMI =I ME NM ME 111111 ME 11110 all 1 eabortion I •birth control 111 I ' • . ~.. •pregnancy testing I 1 fi ,-, ,/-1-, •educational services 1 r c Jr a :,;::. id rest 1 1 clinic and counseling service I 1 2709 N Front Street I Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17110 • (717) 234-4994 16 MEI EMI NE MN MIMI ME Eli ®®® MEI ME ME 111111 Photo by Andy Gumberg •counseling Looks back on 31 years of grid duty O'Hora bids adieu to Lion coaching By JOYCE TOMANA Collegian Sports Writer After 31 years, Jim O'Hora will retire tomorrow from the Nittany Lion coaching staff, his alma mater. Since he joined the Penn State staff in 1946, it has been the players that have made his fondest memories. He has coached Lion All- Americans Steve Suhey, Glenn Ressler, Mike Reid, Randy Crowder and Mike Hartenstine. Such talents as Rosey Grier, David Rowe, Stew Barber, Charley Janerette, Andy Stynchuka, John Nolan, Frank Ahrenhold and Steve Smear were also under his direction. "I think that's what made coaching for me the association with the great young people," O'Hora says. "You enjoy the associations with coaches and other people, but the real joy for me was being around the enthusiasm of the players. I couldn't wait to get to work." Central Hockey League, the farm team shared by Toronto and the Chicago Black Hawks. Neilson is a student of the game after the style of Philadelphia Flyers Coach Fred Shero,.whom he admires. "Roger read every available article about hockey," said Ed Redmond, owner of the Peterborough junior club. "He was devoted to a study about everything to do with the game. He was a systematic student always alert for progressive methods. His is the basic up-and-down hockey with emphasis on top physical training." "Look, if we hadn't hired him, you can bet some other NHL team would have snapped him up," said Ballard, who wrapped up contract talks with Neilson via a long-distance telephone call to South Africa where the hew coach is on vacation. pt. Want ado_ Better . „f_ x _ iv" Grades? sue_ The Learning Center offers programs to help you improve your study skills. Through the use of a self-learning laboratory and a study advisor, you will be able to work at your own pace in practicing those skills which help you do the following: • complete your assignments faster and more efficiently o develop your own study system • listen to lectures more productively • take better notes • improve your reading rate and comprehension • study for and take exams more intelligently • develop sound study habits There is no cost to you for this service. For more in formation, come in to see us 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. • Learning Support Center 211-B Boucke Building (second floor rear) Telephone: 863-0271 O'Hora first arrived at Penn State as a freshman in 1932. He played center under coach Bob Higgins and earned three varsity letters in 1933,1934, and 1935. While studying for his master's degree in physical education he joined Higgins on the gridiron as a line coach in 1936. Eventually, O'Hora would serve under three more Penn State head coaches: Joe Bedenk, Rip Engle and Joe Paterno. He was appointed assistant head coach by Paterno in 1974. "Jim has been a great football coach in every sense," says Paterno. "He has been an outstanding teacher, strategist and an example for young people. On a personal note,- he has been a confidante, a great personal friend and a man whose opinion I respect very much." "It is hard to imagine that any man has made a greater contribution to Penn State athletics. The Lions have come a long way since the 6e e r ,e l is •eo , 0 x\ e ' lei 0 \G ,"' VejA Happy Hours Monday-Saturday 4 P.M. to 1 A.M. Rear of 210 W. College Ave. ~::. • co.NENlETrgictTif.amEs :.. . ... At ; s•-i: ''.. r Is anything : ' rlfr j = • ',-, worth the terror of , :-• " :',:.' „: DEEP -?; ,. ; ,i 11 WO .:'::•••.: l! '; ' : 1C; ; ' 1:00,3:15,5:30,7:45,10:00 •Technicolor 0 Distributed by Warner Bros 0A Warner Communications Company 1:30-3:30-5:30 7:45-10:00 tore for Campanis Shoe Stare I have created this prose, p the hope that you will let us cover your feet and your toes. We have been dyelpg to say this for just a short while, And decided this is the best way --- with real Class and Style! - More exciting verses to be continued in July kith issue. f early seasons, and O'Hora has played a large part in the program's growth. "I never played or coached on a losing team at Penn State," he said. "We had a losing record when I came here as a fresh man, but we didn't have any )osing seasons the three years I played under Higgins and we haven't had one since I've been coaching." The 1938 record of 3-4-1 was the last time the Lions had a losing season. O'Hora recalls how difficult those early years were. "It was a down time for us," he reflects. "Scholarships had been abolished in 1929 and there was a feeling that the bottom had fallen out of the football program. The coaches were discouraged because there weren't any blue chip athletes around." He gives a great deal of credit for Penn State's building of a consistantly highly ranked squad to the increased alumni in terest during his undergraduate days. FRENCH 75 r THE INCREDIBLE SPECTACLE rs OF MEN AND WAR! imapit I .1 cs suw 'f t - A INUIX;11 •fi • 1(X) FAR valWattan4l44.44+ 1:00,4:00,7:00,10:00 $1.25 until 2:30 Repair has an Important Message for you... All Seats $1.25 til 2:30 The Daily Collegian Wednesday, June 29,1977 "Bill Griffiths, Casey Jones and some the other alumni got interested in bringi football back to where it had been, he s.l: "That was the start and each year it goi little better." Looking back, O'Hora has quite a list unforgettable moments: the undefeated It team which marked the return of sor outstanding athletes to Penn State; the it season when the Lions snapped back to their final five games after a 1-4 start; a the top-ranked teams of Paterno. "That 1964 season really stands out . O'Hora remembers. "We had some peor who knew adversity, but came back to be, good a team as there was in the country. was thrilling and satisfying to be part of it. "I know I'll miss something that natural but the physical demands of LI game today are great," he says. "It's different game today. It takes more out of individual to coach."
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