Another yawning gap was opened in the Varsity football coaching staff yesterday by the resignation of Dick Harlow's chief assistant, J. Neil "Skip" Stahley, who will succeed Tuss McLaughry as head football coach at Brown University, it was announced yesterday.

Stahley, who has been connected with Harvard football since 1935, will assume his new duties on March 15 after the close of the Freshman basketball season.

University liked by the players who worked under him, Stahley also was well known for his ability to squeeze the ultimate in effort out of his teams. He advocated "eating football and living football."

"Skip" probably owed his popularity more than anything else to a sharp sense of humor. During the closing minutes of the 1940 Yale game rout when Harvard was out in front 28 to 0 and all the Varsity substitutes had been pouring in and out of the game, he is alleged to have called out to "Doc" Thorndike of the medical staff, "Get up, Doc, we're about to send in the bench."

Penn State Man

He is a native of Lebanon, Pennsylvania and received his A. B. degree from Pennsylvania State College where he was a nine-letter man. After graduation he was named head coach of basketball and lacrosse at Western Maryland College. In addition, he acted as assistant to Dick Harlow, who was then head coach of football at the Maryland school.

Until 1939 Stahley acted as Yardling football mentor but he was appointed backfield coach on the Varsity staff at the beginning of last season. He also has coached lacrosse and Freshman basketball.

By coincidence, Stahley next fall will lead his Brown team against two of his closest coaching associates of recent years. In the first game of their season the Bruins play Wesleyan, pitting Stahley against Wes Fesler, who only recently resigned his job as Crimson end coach to take over at Wesleyan.

On November 15 Stahley will lead his squad into Soldiers Field to tackle the Harlowmen