"Harvard meant nothing to me," he recalled "But then arrogant west cost people don't know about provincial Eastern colleges. It I wasn't committed for two years I would have quit I didn't see what the big deal about coaching was."

McCurdy found his job more rewarding the following year, and before long, it became an obsession "I realized that there was more and more to do and soon it became a workaholic-type thing," he said.

McCurdy has always given his all to everything he has undertaken It is the fear that as a coach, he will not be able to sustain his usual level of effort that prompted his decision to call it quits.

"I felt that I couldn't do as much or offer as much as I had in the past I was afraid of becoming an old duffer just hanging around, he said

Although McCurdy's coaching record has made him a Harvard legend, his quick wit has earned him a reputation as one of its most colorful personalities After an impressive third place showing in the GBCs earlier this season, the Crimson coach quipped. "It's a moral victory, but I'm not a moral man, so I'm not very happy."

"He's a man's man," next year's captain. Scott Murrer said No matter what you say, he has an answer and takes it in stride. You could say you were going to blow up his office and he'd say. Okay, let me just get my beers out of the fridge"

McCurdy is not only witty, but he can comment incisively on virtually anything, particularly the direction Harvard track and college track in general is taking these days.

"Because of today's pressures, a student's commitment to others and the team are suffering," he observed "There's been a change in attitudes In the past, being on the team meant more. There were no excuses for missing practices, and no one would dare miss a meet Now everything is a good reason to miss practice. Everyone's got a lab or a Rhodes Scholarship interview or some thing."

McCurdy sees a trend towards more emphasis on the individual runners and less on the team in general, and he is particularly disturbed by the increasing emphasis on recruiting.

"I don't believe a coach should be a promoter. A coach should not connive for stars but do the best for the athletes he has," he said "It bothers me that a coach's merit is measured by his ability to recruit."

"I'm afraid that the Ivy League is heading in that direction," he continued. "I don't agree with the philosophy that we can't keep up with other school's that do recruit. I don't snatch handbags just because others do. Recruitment leads to refinement. The student body ends up fitting the teams needs and not vice versa.

After this weekend's meet. McCurdy intends to spend time with his wife and see more of his five children--none of whom are runners--but the rest he plans to play by ear. Said the man who has so carefully directed generations of Harvard runners. "I've never made any plans in my life. Why should I start now?"