The veil of secrecy that has shrouded the Harvard football coaching problem ever since the middle of the past season was broken yesterday when it was announced that Edward L. Casey '19, former Crimson football star and for the last two years University backfield coach, had been appointed to succeed Arnold Horween '20 as head coach.
The announcement was not official since the Harvard authorities had been hoping to withold it until the footbal banquet on Friday evening but the news broke out yesterday afternoon and, although at first categorically denied by the Athletic Association, was later confirmed as authoritative.
Along with the appointment of Casey comes the naming of several new assistant coaches, chief among whom is Arthur Sampson, former Tufts head coach and more recently of Columbia University who has been chosen to fill the backfield coaching post left vacant by Casey. The line will be in charge of Walter Cleary '14 and B. H. Ticknor, Jr. '31 and the ends will again be coached by E. H. Bradford '26. E. L. Farrell remains as trainer and V. P. Kennard '09 returns as kicking coach.
Casey's appointment comes not as a surprise but as the logical follow up on the resignation of Horween. After the expiration of his three year contract at the end of the 1928 season Horween was persuaded to come back for another year and again in 1929 he yielded to the wishes of Director of Athletics Bingham and the players and returned for the season just concluded. At the time of the Army game this year Horween intimated that this would definitely be his last year and immediately after the Yale game he made it known that he would not return, recommending Casey as his successor.
Casey was brought up to the University coaching staff two years ago after a highly successful three years as Freshman coach with the direct idea of grooming him for the head coaching position. His football days go back to 1910 when he played as a halfback and end on the Natick High School team. After that followed three years at Exeter and a successful gridiron career at Harvard, which was broken up by the war, but continued in 1919. After graduation Casey coached first at Mt. Union College in Alliance, Ohio and later came to Tufts, where he resigned after the 1925 season to become Harvard Freshman coach.
Sampson, who is regarded as one of the smartest men connected with football, will be the chief strategist of the staff and will probably do a major portion of the scouting. Cleary's appointment as line coach is likewise not a surprise since he was next in line for the position. The decision of R. J. Dunne not to return next year left the job open for him. Ticknor's appointment as assistant line coach and special mentor for the centers is received with considerable elation since it is felt that the presence of the Crimson's All-American center and 1930 captain will do much toward keeping the morale of the team at high tide. Bradford's reappointment as mentor of the ends is likewise enthusiastically received since his work with the wingmen has been outstanding. There had been some doubt as to whether or not Bradford would return but he was signed to another one-year agreement late Monday afternoon.
No announcement was made as to whether or not A. E. French '29 would continue as coach of the Freshmen but it is understood that the appointment of a mentor for the first year teams rests entirely with Casey and that he will signify his choice for the position within a short time. With the exception of the team captain the position of Freshman coach is the only post pertaining to next year's football team that remains unfilled. The captain will be elected on Friday afternoon when the team meets at Notmans for the team picture
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