Fwd: [NU Sports] Randy Walker [LONG]

[Jonathan Michael Hawkins]

Chuck Herron, fingers typing trippingly upon the keyboard, wrote:

> To equate Hanley's 6-3, 7-1 and 7-1-1 seasons with Walker's 6-7, 6-6 and 
> 6-3 seasons is ludicrous.  It insults the intelligence of the listener, 
> as well as discounting the real accomplishments of Hanley and many 
> coaches who succeeded him.

You're right, Chuck.  Well, sort of.  I don't think the staffer at 
Athletics meant to say anything more than Walker had won 6 games three 
times in a row, and note that Hanley was the last coach to do it.  They 
weren't comparing winning percentages, and I don't think the verbiage 
warrants your flaming of a well-meaning staffer at Athletics.

It *is* worth going back and doing the research about Depression-era 
football, as well as noting the accomplishments of Hanley, with a little 
Waldorf, Voigts, Parseghian, Agase, and Barnett thrown in for good 
measure.  I'll leave out the contributions of Lou Saban (0-8-1), and of 
course Pont, Venturi, Green, and Peay.  As a service to the list, I've 
used HailToPurple's excellent site as well as some other sources to 
compile a little info about Dick Hanley's seasons from 1929 until his 
dismissal in 1934.

In 1929, Dick Hanley's Wildcats played 9 games.  Of these, 7 were played 
at home. (!)  The three losses were to Minnesota, Indiana, and Notre Dame. 
The quality wins were against Wisconsin, Illinois, and Ohio State.  The 
joke wins were against Cornell College (of Iowa), Butler, and Wabash. 
That Wabash win was a 66-0 blowout.  Final (actual) record playing an 
actual schedule against actual teams: (3-3).

In 1930, Dick Hanley's Wildcats played 8 games.  Of these, 5 were played 
at home.  The only loss that season was the second straight year to close 
the season with a loss to Notre Dame at Dyche Stadium.  Hanley beat 1930 
Southern Conference co-champs Tulane that year, an impressive win. 
Hanley's only questionable victory came over Centre, giving him an actual 
record of 6 wins, 1 loss, and a cupcake - an impressive season by any 
stretch.

In 1931, Hanley's team played 9 games.  Of these, 5 were played at home, 
and two were played at Soldier Field.  Hanley stepped up this year and 
played all quality teams except for Nebraska.  The continuing inability to 
beat Notre Dame was at least ameliorated by playing them to a 0-0 tie at 
Soldier Field.  This was the 7-1-1 season, again an incredible feat, even 
if I would note it as 6-1-1 (and a cupcake).

It was the 1932 season that probably defined the end of Hanley's reign, 
though.  This 8 game season was the first "let's not play any cupcakes" 
schedule, and the results were unhappy at best.  Hanley's lackluster 'Cats 
turned in a 3-4-1 season, including yet another loss to Notre Dame. 
Hanley would fail, as all NU coaches before him, to beat Notre Dame, and 
at the end of his tenure in 1934 would leave NU with an all-time win-loss 
record against the Irish with 0-9-1.  Hanley's achievement in this arena 
was the 1931 tie, which was an improvement but one in which no points were 
scored.

In 1933 we played Stanford for the first time.  Hanley's scheduling of an 
entire schedule of high-powered, big name opponents was probably the 
greatest legacy he could've left to NU - playing some of the most 
difficult schedules in the NCAA, during the same era the University of 
Chicago would decide to stop playing football entirely.  The 8 game 1933 
season ended with the 'Cats 1-5-2, including yet another loss to Notre 
Dame.

The 1934 campaign featured an away game against Stanford, but this 
ultimately was Hanley's final season as the Head Coach, with a 3-5 record, 
including the final insult to close the home schedule, yet another loss to 
Notre Dame.  NU would replace Hanley with Lynn "Pappy" Waldorf for the 
1935 season.

It is worth noting that in his first season, Coach Waldorf pulled off the 
first Northwestern victory against the hated Irish, a 14-7 win in South 
Bend.  Notre Dame would avenge this loss in 1936, ruining the 'Cats 
perfect 1936 season.  Pappy wouldn't beat the Domers again until 1940.
After the 1940 victory the 'Cats lost to Notre Dame 8 more times, all in 
the 40s.

The 'Cats did not play Notre Dame after the loss during the magical Bob 
Voigts-coached 1948 Rose Bowl season until 1959, when Coach Ara Parseghian 
added the Irish to our schedule.  Parseghian went on to rack up four 
straight victories over the hated Domers, a feat which impressed them so 
much they stole him away from the Wildcats following the 1963 season. 
Ara's record over Notre Dame was a perfect 4-0-0.  Between Parseghian and 
Barnett, there were no victories against Notre Dame despite many attempts, 
including Notre Dame beating his replacement, Alex Agase.  Notre Dame has 
not scheduled the 'Cats since the stunning 1995 upset victory in Notre 
Dame Stadium, which reportedly made the Touchdown Jesus cry.

No word on whether or not Coach Weis has the guts to schedule NU again - 
Lord knows he's got the gut. ;-)

Somehow, this ended up being about beating Notre Dame.  I think it was 
reading Jeff's post about beating them on NBC in 1995.

Ultimately, Walker's six win seasons came in a different era, and 
comparing the two is ultimately an amusing exercise, but no more.  The 
staffer who wrote the release should be commended anyway for doing their 
research, even if you find flaws in it.  This season is a magical one 
already, and I fault no one for celebrating it.

Well, it's back to me researching the Buckeyes.

Go 'Cats, Beat their worthless Nuts,

Jonathan