Norries Wilson, the first Rutgers Acting Head Football Coach Since..........

Source · Sep 17, 2015

....1977 when Bob Naso took over for head coach Frank Burns who was hospitalized with a heart attack. Naso went 3-1 in the final four games of the season as the Scarlet Knights finished 8-3-0 on the year.

Twenty years earlier, Matt Bolger took over for the final two games of the season when head coach John Steigman was hospitalized with pneumonia during the "Asian Flu" outbreak. Bolger went 1-1 as the Scarlet Knights finished 5-4-0 during the 1957 season.

After Rutgers, Naso went on to coach Columbia and was a member of the 1957 team. Norries WIlson was a former head coach at Columbia and now will coach the Rutgers team.

Bolger later changed sports and from 1961-83 went 288-245-7 as head coach of the baseball team. At the time of his retirement, he had more sports wins than any coach in Rutgers history and in 2001 entered Rutgers Baseball Hall of Fame.

Source · Sep 17, 2015

Prior to all that, the rules on a head coach "calling" a game were very restrictive. You could train your team, talk to them before and after games and at halftime but were forbidden to speak to them during games. It was usually the team captain and/or quarterback who ran the game and called the plays. The last vestiges of these rules came off the books in 1967 (but were being circumvented a lot earlier in time).

In the 1922 game with NYU, Rutgers head coach Foster Sanford left All American Homer Hazel in charge of the team while Sanford attended his alma mater's (Yale's) big game. It wasn't the only time he did that either.

So the answer to the old timers who still remember two-way football and quarterbacks running their own show is -- they had to, by rule! And "acting coach" had a different meaning than today.

mikemarc1 · Sep 17, 2015

Wasn't Flood "acting coach" for a few days before he was official hired?

mikemarc1 · Sep 17, 2015

I guess since he never coached a game, he technically doesn't fit.

Piscataway · Sep 17, 2015

Source said:
Prior to all that, the rules on a head coach "calling" a game were very restrictive. You could train your team, talk to them before and after games and at halftime but were forbidden to speak to them during games. It was usually the team captain and/or quarterback who ran the game and called the plays. The last vestiges of these rules came off the books in 1967 (but were being circumvented a lot earlier in time).

In the 1922 game with NYU, Rutgers head coach Foster Sanford left All American Homer Hazel in charge of the team while Sanford attended his alma mater's (Yale's) big game. It wasn't the only time he did that either.

So the answer to the old timers who still remember two-way football and quarterbacks running their own show is -- they had to, by rule! And "acting coach" had a different meaning than today.

I had no clue about this. Source, you are in invaluable resource. Thanks for the info

Source · Sep 17, 2015

You're welcome.

Foster Sanford coached in an era where sideline interaction with the team was forbidden by rule. He was on hand for Rutgers 21-0 blanking of Muhlenberg before a Neilson Field record crowd of 4,000 according to the October 18, 1915 Daily Home News, “Throughout the first quarter the command of ‘Hit them harder’ came from somewhere out of the stands packed with people, and the Rutgers backs obeyed. Then there began a search for a man named George Foster Sanford. Umpire Fauver walked over to the crowd: ‘Will some one tell me where Mr. Sanford is?’ Before anyone had a chance to answer, there came this reply: ‘All right, Mr. Umpire, I’ll shut up.’ And no more of his commands came from the stands.”

DHajekRC84 · Sep 17, 2015

mikemarc1 said:
Wasn't Flood "acting coach" for a few days before he was official hired?

he's been "acting" coach for 3 years now (badda bing)..just kidding..couldn't resist.

RUfromSoCal? · Sep 17, 2015

I saw Terry Shea act as a head coach for years.........

rbled · Sep 17, 2015

Source said:
....1977 when Bob Naso took over for head coach Frank Burns who was hospitalized with a heart attack. Naso went 3-1 in the final four games of the season as the Scarlet Knights finished 8-3-0 on the year.

Twenty years earlier, Matt Bolger took over for the final two games of the season when head coach John Steigman was hospitalized with pneumonia during the "Asian Flu" outbreak. Bolger went 1-1 as the Scarlet Knights finished 5-4-0 during the 1957 season.

After Rutgers, Naso went on to coach Columbia and was a member of the 1957 team. Norries WIlson was a former head coach at Columbia and now will coach the Rutgers team.

Bolger later changed sports and from 1961-83 went 288-245-7 as head coach of the baseball team. At the time of his retirement, he had more sports wins than any coach in Rutgers history and in 2001 entered Rutgers Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bob Naso was also an All American lacrosse player at Rutgers and has been inducted into the Rutgers University, Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse and New Jersey Lacrosse Halls of Fame.

BeantownKnight · Sep 17, 2015

I knew it was in the mid-/late-70's but couldn't remember exactly. Thanks again for the details, Source!

Source · Sep 19, 2015

You're welcome.

RUinPAC10land · Sep 19, 2015

I asked Marcellus Wiley about him on twitter since he played at Columbia. He seems very excited for him.

Sir ScarletKnight · Sep 19, 2015

Source said:
You're welcome.

Foster Sanford coached in an era where sideline interaction with the team was forbidden by rule. He was on hand for Rutgers 21-0 blanking of Muhlenberg before a Neilson Field record crowd of 4,000 according to the October 18, 1915 Daily Home News, “Throughout the first quarter the command of ‘Hit them harder’ came from somewhere out of the stands packed with people, and the Rutgers backs obeyed. Then there began a search for a man named George Foster Sanford. Umpire Fauver walked over to the crowd: ‘Will some one tell me where Mr. Sanford is?’ Before anyone had a chance to answer, there came this reply: ‘All right, Mr. Umpire, I’ll shut up.’ And no more of his commands came from the stands.”

Source, where do you get your info?

Piscataway · Sep 19, 2015

Sir ScarletKnight said:
Source, where do you get your info?

Ancient Chinese secret...

saran · Sep 19, 2015

I recall Norries Wilson on the WFAN with Mike and Russo. They had him on just before his first season began at Columbia. At the interview's end, Francesa asked if Columbia had a website where fans could buy tickets. Wilson said "yes" and added "Maybe we'll even play the games online - keep everybody healthy that way". Seemed like a funny guy and RU players say the same thing

B0ski · Sep 19, 2015

Will Norries actually drive the car tonight? Will he have discretion to change QB's?

ScarletKnightRider · Sep 19, 2015

B0ski said:
Will Norries actually drive the car tonight? Will he have discretion to change QB's?

Something tells me Flood gave him a loose blueprint to follow regarding the QB situation. I dont think he's going to do anything drastic unless he absolutely has to.

RUinPAC10land · Sep 19, 2015

ScarletKnightRider said:
Something tells me Flood gave him a loose blueprint to follow regarding the QB situation. I dont think he's going to do anything drastic unless he absolutely has to.

Urban Meyer wasn't shy about pulling the QB that won him a national championship.

Norries Wilson, the first Rutgers Acting Head Football Coach Since..........

Heisman Winner

Heisman Winner

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

Senior

Heisman Winner

Hall of Famer

Hall of Famer

All American

All Conference

Heisman Winner

All Conference

Senior

Senior

Senior

All Conference

Senior

All Conference

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