Western Kentucky University TopSCHOLAR® WKU Archives Records WKU Archives 1964 UA19/17/1/4 WKU Football Press Guide WKU Athletic Media Relations Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records Recommended Citation WKU Athletic Media Relations, "UA19/17/1/4 WKU Football Press Guide" (1964). WKU Archives Records. Paper 794. http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/dlsc_ua_records/794 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by TopSCHOLAR®. It has been accepted for inclusion in WKU Archives Records by an authorized administrator of TopSCHOLAR®. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GENERAL INFORMATION NAME. ............................. WESTERN KENTUCKY STATE COLLEGE FOUNDED .............................................. .... .............................................. 1906 LOCATION............ ... ........... BOWLING GREEN, KY. (POP. 32,000) PRESIDENT ...................................................... DR. KELLY THOMPSON HEAD FOOTBALL COACH ..............................................NICK DENES ASST. FOOTBALL COACH ...................... ................ FRANK GRIFFIN ASST. FOOTBALL COACH .. .................................... TURNER ELROD ASST. FOOTBALL COACH .............. ............ ... ................. JIMMIE FE IX DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS ............................................ E. A. DIDDLE HEAD, DEPT. OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION ...... TED HORNBACK COLORS .......... ...................................................... SCARLET AND WHITE NICKNAME ...................................................................... HILLTOPPERS PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR. ........... ROBERT G. COCHRAN (Phone : VI 2·0341, Ext. 240 ) ASST. PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR. ....................... ED GIVEN (Office Phone: VI 2·0341 , Ext. 240: Home Phone: VI 2-4661) STADIUM. ........................... WESTERN CAMPUS (CAPACITY: 5,500) CONFERENCE AFFILIATIONS .................... NCAA, OHIO VALLEY TIME OF HOME GAMES, DAY: 2:00 P.M., NIGHT: 7:30 P .M. (CST) LOCAL PRESS .......................................... .. P ARK CITY DAILY NEWS Bert Borrone, Sports Editor COLLEGE PRESS .... .. ........................ COLLEGE HEIGHTS HERALD LOCAL RADIO STATIONS........ .. .................... WBGN, WKCT, WLBJ LOCAL TV STATION.............. ............ .............. .. .. .. ...... .................... WLTV THE COVER Western halfback Joe Baird's record-setting 96-yard kickoff return in the 1963 Homecoming win over Evansville forms the backdrop for the beautiful Ohio Valley Conference and Tangerine Bowl trophies won by the Hilltoppers last fall. The action photo was chosen fo r publication in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's 1964 Official Football Guide. WESTERN KENTUCKY STATE COLLEGE Over the years since it was founded in 1906, Western Ken­ tucky State College has compiled a solid record of service to the citizens of the state. Western was originally created for the sole purpose of train­ ing teachers for the elementary and secondary schools of Kentucky, but has steadily increased the scope of its academic program to meet the expanding needs of its students. The College now offers three undergraduate degrees and one graduate degree with course offerings in 23 different departments. The Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Music and the Master of Arts degrees may be earned at West­ €rn. In addition, the College offers a two-year Associate of Arts degree in certain areas within the Department of Business and Government as well as the Associate of Arts degree in Nursing which leads to certification as a Registered Nurse. The College also offers pre-professional work leading to entrance in professional and technical colleges. Western's enrollment this fall was again expected to be at an all-time high- approximately 6,500 students, or nearly four times the enrollment of only nine years ago. To keep pace with this in­ creasing number of students, Western is currently in the midst of the greatest building program in its history. A new five-story dormitory for women was opened this fall. The unique and utilitarian $2.9-million Academic-Athletic Build­ ing and Central Hall, an ll-story dormitory for men, were in use for the first time last year. The Paul L. Garrett Student Center is currently being en­ larged and reconstructed to give it three times its former capacity, which will greatly expand cafeteria facilities as well as those for student activities. Plans for the near future include the reconstruction and en­ largement of the former Physical Education Building into a mod­ ern library and the construction of a new classroom building. These buildings greatly enhance the appearance of the 141- acre Western campus, already recognized as one of the most beau­ tiful in the nation. It stands on the crest of a commanding hill in the southern portion of Bowling Green and presents a marvelous view from any entrance to the city. In addition to football, Western's Hilltoppers play complete schedules in intercollegiate basketball, baseball, track, tennis, golf and cross-country. THE COACHING STA FF Head Coach NICK DENES The Hilltoppers' Nick Denes adds continually in achievement to a coach­ ing record that long ago reached a re­ markable level of distinction. After guiding Western to its first un­ defeated football season, the Ohio Val­ ley Conference Championship and the Tangerine Bowl titles last fall, Denes was named "Coach of the Year" for the third time in his career. NI CK DENES His fellow OVC coaches voted him that distinction last fall as well as in 1961, when he led the Hilltoppers to a third-place finish after his club had been picked to rank dead last. Denes was named Ken­ tucky high school football's "Coach of the Year" in 1951 , when his Louisville Male High team won the state championship. His coaching career has been a most versatile one. In addition to the grid title won at Male, Denes took Corbin High School to the state basketball championship in 1936 and his Male track teams won an unprecedented seven state crowns. Thus Denes is the only man in Kentucky to have coached state championship teams in three different sports. Born and reared in Garrett, Ind., Denes graduated from the University of Illinois in 1929. His playing career there was cut short by an injury, but he coached the Illini freshman gridders during his senior year. He was head coach at Corbin from 1929 through 1936, at the University of Tennessee, Martin Branch, in 1937-38, and was fresh­ man coach at Western in 1939. He was line coach at Male from 1940 through 1948 and was promoted to head coach there in 1949. He resigned as football coach after the 1953 season, concentrating his efforts on his job as athletic director and track coach. He took over the reins at Western in 1957. In seven seasons Denes' Hilltopper teams have won 37, lost 24 and tied 3. His overall record-covering all sports through a 34- year coaching career-is an astounding 477 victories, 146 losses and 11 ties. 2 Line Coach FRANK GRIFFIN Frank Griffin, a native of Ashland, has consistently built strong forward walls at Western since he became line coach in 1948. The line he put together last fall-when Western ranked fourth, nationally, among NCAA College Divis­ ion teams in rushing defense, was among the finest ever to play in the OVC. He was an outstanding end himself at Western just prior to World War II, joining the Hilltopper coaching staff as trainer in 1946 after a five-year hitch in FRANK GRIFFIN the U. S. Navy. Griffin believes in driving his linemen hard to keep them in top physical condition. He has a proven knack for getting a top effort from his players; they respond readily when Griffin calls on them for that "something extra." He coaches the Western golf team in the spring and fields a strong OVC title contender year after year. Under his guidance the 'Topper linksmen have copped the league crown six times. Defensive Backfield Coach TURNER ELROD Turner Elrod marked himself as one of the finest all-around athletes in West­ ern history when he starred in football, basketball and baseball for the Hilltop­ pel's from 1927 through 1931. He joined the Western staff in 1949 after serving as athletic director and as­ sistant football coach at Barrett High in Henderson, Ky. He compiled a solid record of success in Kentucky high TURNER ELROD school coachi ng circles. Elrod strongly advocates and stresses fundamentals in coach­ ing his backs, but still finds time to cultivate their individual talents. At the same time, he teaches them his own hard-nosed philosophy of defense. His work last fall was particularly outstanding as the Hilltop­ pel'S easily led the OVC in pass interceptions with 23. The 1963 secondary, especially the corner backs, also played a major role in Western's great rushing defense. 3 Offensive Backfield Coach JIMMIE FEIX Jimmie Feix has the very best of qualifications for his post as director of the Hilltopper offense. His 1,546 yards total offense and 1,- 581 yards passing in 1952 still stand as all-time records, both at Western and in the Ohio Valley Conference. He was se­ lected to the Little All-America team that season as he led the 'Toppers to a JIMMIE FE IX tie for the OVC championship and a 9-1 record, including a 34-19 triumph over Arkansas State in the Refrigerator Bowl at Evansville, Ind. He was ranked among the top passers in the nation during both his junior and senior seasons. Feix returned to Western in 1957 after four years of service as a pilot in the U. S. AIr Force. He served as