Mylin, Ex-NYU Coach, Seen Likely New Football Mentor

The same source which two years ago predicted the appointment of Arthur L. Valpey as the new Harvard coach, seven days in advance of the official announcement, last night disclosed that either Edward E. "Hooks" Mylin or Harvey Harman will probably be the next varsity football coach. Mylin is a former Lafayette and New York University coach, and Harman is now at Rutgers.

Which of the two men will receive the nomination depends largely on the extent to which Provost Buck exercises his influence over the athletic association. However, according to the source of this information, Mylin is rated as the more likely choice.

This is primarily because of his connection with Henry W. Clark '23, former assistant director of athletics here. Clark, who coached Trinity after he left his HAA position, met Mylin when he was athletic director of Lafayette College. Mylin became coach of football there in 1937, and in four seasons under Clark he lost only two games, winning the "Coach of the Year" award in 1937.

Clark is now a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, and chairman of the Overseers Advisory Committee on Athletics. Mylin retired from coaching NYU last month.

A recent exchange of phone calls substantiates the fact that connection between these two men has been more than just a casual friendship.

Mylin told the CRIMSON last night that he saw Clark at the coaches' convention in New York last month. Clark stated yesterday that Mylin had phoned him asking if he should apply for the Harvard job. Clark urged him to do so.

Technical Qualifications

When contacted last night in Washington, Clark refused to comment on the status of Mylin in the current football picture, merely stating that he has had ample opportunity to observe his work and believes him to be an extremely capable coach. Clark had just arrived in Washington from his home in California, where Provost Buck has been attending a meeting of the American Historical Society.

Besides his relationship with Clark, Mylin has technical qualifications which make him a logical candidate for the coaching position. He is 52 years old, and it seems likely that after the experiment with a young coach the Administration may turn toward an older man. This is especially true in the present situation because it is commonly felt that authorities want a man who knows what he is getting into and isn't afraid of a few lean years.

An older man who is not looking for a stepping stone or a large salary would satisfy the University. Mylin is such a man.

Conditioning Important

In 25 years as a football coach, he has emphasized three key things the administration is looking for: conditioning, fundamentals, and team spirit. Because of the many injuries during the past season, William J. Bingham '16, Director of Athletics, and many others have repeatedly spoken of the importance of conditioning a team, and there is every reason to believe that this will be an important factor in the final decision.

Finally, Mylin is undoubtedly a man who knows football. He coached football, basketball and baseball for ten years at Lebanon Valley and in 1934 he went to Bucknell. His first year at Bucknell, he took his team to the Orange Bowl, where it defeated Mismi, 26 to 0.

Lafayette was Mylin's next step, and in 1937, his first year there, he won the coaching award. After five years at Lafayette, in which he had two undefeated teams and two one-loss seasons, Mylin went into the Army where he coached the Camp Lee team.

Following his discharge Mylin went to NYU under a three year contract. His poor record there is explained by the fact that he was only able to hold practice four days a week and rarely did more than 20 football players show up. At the termination of his contract in 1949 he asked not to be considered for reappointment.

Definitely interested

Mylin last night told the CRIMSON that he is definitely interested in the Harvard job. "Although the situation there is not too good," he stated, "there's a fine plant and a real potential."

Harman can be considered mainly on the grounds that he was high on the list of nominees two years ago when Valpey received the appointment. At Rutgers he has been able to inspire only fair teams to a consistently high level of play.

Harman checked in Wednesday at the Hotel Statler, left last night, but refused to say whether or not he had conferred with any Harvard officials. "Any information about myself and the Harvard football situation will have to come from other sources," he stated