The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 52

The Indianapolis Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1984 Obituaries 60 Classified 61-70 PAGE 53 Col job interests Meyer Sports Over Lightly By BOB COLLINS Interim, Hunter fii VPS Kush back also is candidate mnwi (, hum Jlii.i-iii.iiii..wMimww""iwmL ui li. i mump fmm vwmvmavmmmmnmwumv the land By JOHN BANSCH Frank Kush is out, Hal Hunter 1 SUr Photo by Frank H. Frank Kush announces his resignation as Colts coach at news conference takes job as head coach for Arizona Outlaws of USFL for $l-million is in and Ron Meyer is Kush's Coaching Stops 1958-79 Arizona State (176-54-1) (CFL) (11-4-1) 1982-84 Colts (11-28-1) Player reaction Page 54 Mustangs was Jimmy Irsay, the general manager of the Colts. Irsay will play a key role in the search for a new coach. The Colt G.M.

is "looking for a man who is 1, a disciplinarian, and 2, believes in a wide-open type offense." According to Irsay, the son of Colt owner Robert Irsay, the team "has no timetable to select a coach, but would like to name a replacement for Kush as soon as possible." Hunter is a viable candidate, 1 said the general manager, who would not discuss names. OTHER MEN who may become candidates include two college coaches noted for their passing wizardry Mike White of Illinois and Darryl Rogers of Arizona State. White, a close associate of Colt backfield coach Roger Theder, has not been contacted by anyone in the Indianapolis organization. He said recently he intends to remain at Illinois at least one more year. Rogers is on a year-to-year contract at ASU.

He has confided in friends that if Kush returned to Arizona he would consider leaving. Hunter put two changes into effect Thursday, will make another today and may give the offense a new look Sunday. Hunter's first decision was to take offensive coordinator Zeke Bratkowski out of the press box and put him on the sidelines. "That will cut down communication time," Hunter said of the move. BRATKOWSKI IS in favor of his new vantage point.

"I worked on the sidelines for seven years at Green Bay and was there my first two years with the Colts before going upstairs this season," he said. Change No. 2 was a shorter practice session Thursday afternoon. Hunter reduced the time on the field from two hours to just a shade under 90 minutes. On-the-field practice this morning has been canceled and will be replaced by extended meetings.

Under Kush, the Colts were qn the field twice-a day. Hunter also indicated the Colts "may pass more on first down," There could also be a change in quarterbacks. Kush announced Wednesday Mike Pagel would start at New England. Hunter may start either Pagel or Art Schlichter. "I'll probably make that decision See KUSH Page 57 Former coach Ron Meyer Interested in Colts' vacancy I i 'I ilY knocking on the door.

The widely-circulated rumor that Kush would quit the Indianapilis Colts to coach the Arizona Outlaws of the United States Football League became a reality Thursday. A million contract lured Kush back to the land where he coached Arizona State for nearly a quarter of a century. AT LEAST $700,000 of that con tract reportedly is guaranteed even if the team folds in the next two or three years. "I don think Im that much of a Polack," Kush quipped when asked if he would head west without a guarantee. Kush departs with a 4-11 record this season and an 11-28 1 record in his three seasons with the Colts.

He made his decision late Wednesday night after giving it serious consideration for nearly two weeks. "The offer was too difficult to turn down," explained the 55-year-old Kush. "I lived there for 25 years, I still have family there and a lot of good friends. Kush would like Arizona to be his last coaching stop, but he isn't saying it will be the final destination. "In coaching, you never know where your last stop will be," he said.

"It's like a whistle stop train, there's always one more toot to go." HUNTER, THE offensive line" coach who. has served as one of Kush's top assistants the last four years, was named interim coach and will direct the team in its final 1984 game Sunday at New England. A one-time aide to Lee Corso at Indiana, Hunter is very interested in replacing Kush on a full time basis. So is Ron Meyer, fired earlier this season as head coach of the New England Patriots. "I think being head coach of the Colts is a tremendous opportunity," said Meyer, who played his college football at Purdue and later was a Boilermaker assistant.

"My wife is from Indiana and my association with Purdue has always left a warm spot in my heart for the people of the state." Meyer came into the league the same year as Kush 1982 rr'after a highly successful tenure at Southern Methodist. Like Kush, he is known as a disciplinarian. "I thought Frank was on the right track with the Colts," said Meyer. IN HIS first year with the Pats, Meyer turned a 2-14 team into a 54 club which made the playoffs in the strike-shortened season. Last year New England was 8 8 and it was 5-3 this autumn when Meyer was fired.

The Pats have lost their last three games and four of seven under new coach Raymond Berry. One of the men 6n the SMU roster when Meyer coached the Colts CM. Jimmy Irsay To play key role in search for coach 1 unter pressure as Colts' interim he loves NOT LONG ago I sat with r-i. i rraiiK iumi anu, saying ittle for a change, listened to a man debating himself. Except for the fact that it was- off the record a phrase that sticks in my aging, ulcerous jour nalistic gut it was fascinating.

At 55, a man usually is spared major career decisions. Except in sports. If you are football coach or a baseball manager you some times are exploring moves or ong-term contracts a few min utes before the pallbearers knock on your door. Kush was not here long enough for us to form a working relationship. But I found him an interesting study.

He won lie to you, but he seldom gives you a direct answer about anything other than the performance of his team. I once got the feeling that if I would ask him his favorite color, he'd say, Kush has an acerbic tongue on the record and a subtle wit one- you must always be careful that he doesn't have the needle stuck deep into your giz zard. If you don't have questions, 'however, he tells you a lot. This evening, for example, he iwould not admit he was considering a move to Arizona. Still, he laid out the pluses and minuses a change.

THE MAN from the coal fields of Pennsyvlania loves the Old West. He's combative. In another time, he would have been at the OK Corral or fought with or against Cochise for the joy of the contest. But a funny thing happened light after the Mayflowers landed here. He devloped a "genuine affection for Indianapolis.

The $ity. The people. We'll skip the weather. And he believed he had some thing started with the Colts; that he just was a year or two from turning it around. Kush talent is in teaching.

His on field tactics are debatable. But, the young Colts needed in struction. And they were making progress jn skill, if not on the scoreboard. 2 He had planted the seeds with the Colts. The bulbs were sprout ing.

No man with competitive zeal wants to leave before the flowers grow. The contract with the Arizona Outlaws offered big dollars and security. But he wasn't exactly dining at the Salvation Army here. He could have taken two more years with the Colts. And if he had produced a winner he would have earned enough to keep him in cashmere.

S0 BACK and forth he went. Follow the bouncing ball. This is an oversimplication, but seemed to come down to staying with the dream he was building or returning to the land he loved, Arizona has 22 years of seniority over Indianapolis. It has lakes, mountains, friends, rela tives all the things that tell a non-native that he can, perhaps must, go home again. When Kush left that evening I had no doubt that his life in our fair city was about to become history.

So whither now the Colts? Hal Hunter, an impressive man, will be head coach for one game. He has an opportunity to be the only NFL coach to finish the season unbeaten. General manager Jim Irsay says Hunter will be considered when the hunt for a new head coach begins. There will be no dearth of applicants. The Colts will Jiear from ex-NFL coaches, assistants currently doing time with win hing programs and college win ners.

THEY WILL hear from peopli who are good at the quick fix, people who are teachers, people who are motivators, people who are administrators. The Colts have said, often, that they want to huild through the draft That would eliminate the George Allen types. Whatever, they have plenty of time to think it through. There's no recruiting season in profes sionai looiDan. 'In a winning 'program change of coaches is more like a coronation long live the new king! The Colts, though, will be set ting their direction for at least fiye years.

Best they do it like porcupines kiss very carefully. coach don't feel any real pressure. Maybe I'm too dumb to do that. I feel I'm in a no-lose situation." Hunter likens himself to Kush in many ways. "A lot of Frank has rubbed off on me," he said.

"I think I'm hard-nosed but I also see two sides to every coin. I believe in discipline. I believe in rules and regulations. If that makes me hard-nosed, then I'm hard-nosed." Hunter "gives a lot of credit to Frank Kush," for the "development" of the Colts the last three years. "THE PLAYERS in this organization have had to learn on the move," he said.

"We've got young players who are just starting to ripen into full-fledged professional players." The new Colts' coach termed his players "feisty," in their first practice session under his "Everyone seemed to execute pretty well for a cold, miserable day." Hunter played his collegiate football at Pittsburgh, where he was a linebacker and offensive guard. He began his college coaching career at Richmond where he handled the defensive line from 1958-61. He then served as offensive line coach at West Virginia (1962-63); Maryland (1964-65), Duke (1966-70) and Kentucky, where he was also offensive coordinator (1971-72). He was an assistant to Lee Corso at Indiana from 197376. From 1977 through 1980 he was head coach at California (Pa.) State College before joining Kush in Canada.

J.B. Life as a National Football League head coach begins at 50 for Hal Hunter. The man who has been in the coaching profession for 28 years will be the man on the spot Sunday when the Indianapolis Colts close out the 1984 season at New England. "I guess you could say I'm the team's designated hitter," Hunter quipped Thursday evening after conducting his first practice session as the Colts' interim head coach. "The chances of my hitting a home run are difficult." HUNTER WOULD like to throw the ball more than the Colts have done in some previous games.

Still, he's not going to put it in the air simply to satisfy the critics who contend Indianapolis has not passed enough in 1984. "I'm not going to throw just to throw," said Hunter. "If we're not throwing well, we'll sit on the ball. I agree completely with our plan of attack this year. We'll still have the same quarterbacks, the same receivers and the same people in the line who have given up 55 sacks." Hunter does not believe the sudden departure of Kush for Arizona will have a serious effect on the team.

"I believe that if a team had sailed on smooth waters what happened today would have hurt, but this club has been on stormy waters and has pretty good sea legs," he said. feels no Hal Hunter "This team has been involved in disruptive situations ever since all of us reported to Baltimore eons ago. I think Sunday will be just another day at the office. We're used to turmoil and distractions." HUNTER UNDERSTANDS his future may depend on the Colts' showing Sunday. He does not feel any added pressure.

"It could well be the most important game in which I've ever been involved," said the man who joined Kush's staff four years ago at Hamilton in the Canadian Football League. "It's an opportunity I'm looking forward to. Win or lose it will be an exciting experience, but I tain. The pointing suburb. Ted with Sutcliffe Bruce The to keep helped to a last keep Tim unsigned Cubs win bidding war for Sutcliffe Chicago (UPI) Cy Young Award winner Rick Sutcliffe Thurs'day agreed to terms with the Chicago Cubs on a five-year contract for Royals tried to lure Sutcliffe by out that Lee's Summitt, Sutcliffe's off-season home, was a Kansas City Turner, owner of the Braves, came up a big offer during the weekend but Chose not to join another free agent, Sutter, with the Braves.

signing of Sutcliffe enabled the Cubs all three free agent starters that them win the NL East with vie-tories. Green earlier signed Dennis Eckersley about $9.5 million, ending a bidding derby between four major league teams. The free agent righthander, who last season helped lead the Cubs to their first pennant in 39 years, agreed to the contract after rejecting lucrative- offers from the San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves. Cubs' General Manag Sutcliffe, who went 16-1 for the Cubs after being acquired from Cleveland June 13 in a seven-player trade. "We will not be outbid," Green had said.

"We didn't make that trade with Cleveland to lose The fireballing right-hander became a free agent after he and the Cubs had lost the fifth and deciding game of the National League playoffs at San Diego. SUTCLIFFE HAD said he "owed it to Chicago" to return and finish the business of getting Chicago into the World Series for the first time since 1945. "I want to pitch on- a World Series team," Sutcliffe has said. Sutcliffe, named Rookie of the Year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1979, had been heavily courted by the Padres. Sutcliffe was good friends with San Diego first baseman Steve Garvey.

i Green, Cubs President Jim Finks and boad chairman Andrew McKenna. BARRY AXELROD, Sutcliffe's San Diego-based attorney, spent the afternoon informing Atlanta; Kansas City and San Diego that Sutcliffe had decided to pitch the next five years in Wrigley Field. "We made him what we thought was a very attractive offer," said Padres' general manager Jack McKeon. "He's a top-flight person as well an outstanding pitcher and we would would have liked 15 have had him on staff. But I guess he preferred staying with the Cubs.

There isn't much we can do about it." John Schuerholz, general manager of the Royals, said he was told earlier in the day Sutcliffe appreciated the KC offer but was going elsewhere. The Braves, who were late entrants into the serious talks with Sutcliffe, were also notified earlier in the day, At the outset of negotiations, Green had said he had no intention of being outbid for Sutcliffe multi-year -contract in November and at week's winter meetings, in Houston, he resigned left-hander Steve Trout. They will join Sutcliffe and jiewly acquired Ray Fontenot from the Yankees to the Qibs' pitching intact. Only reliever Stoddard, also a free agent, remain among those Green wanted to re er Dallas Green confirmed the agreement. Executives of the three other clubs bidding for Sutcliffe acknowledged they had been notified of his decision to sign with Chicago.

UPI also learned that Sutcliffe was flying to Chicago for an evening meeting with.