Green Bay Press-Gazette from Green Bay, Wisconsin • Page 21

B-1 GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE Bobcats Scoreboard BusinessFinance Farm B-2 B-3 B-4 -B-6 -B-7 PORTS Classified- in Friday, Dec. 28, 1979 aoimeirlDirtsdl afito 28 seas bus -fx. i "We were good friends, about as close as you can get without associating in private life," said Hanner. Starr said the decision to fire Hanner was his alone. He said he discussed the matter with Dominic Olej-.

niczak, president of the executive committee, but did not need to get his okay. "We don't have to clear things no," said Starr. In 1972, Hanner's first as defensive coordinator, the Packers led the National Football Conference in defense. But this past season Hanner came under considerable fire as the Packers slumped to 23rd in the NFL in total defense and 28th, or last, in rushing. Still, he said he was caught off-guard by the decision.

"I was surprised, but these things happen in this game," said Hanner. "I'm more hurt than I am bitter." He said he didn't know what Starr meant by his statement that a fresh approach was needed and he declined comment on whether he thought he was being made a scapegoat for the team's disappointing 5-1 1 finish. He also defended his defensive philosophy, which had come under attack. Chris Ward, starting tackle for the New York Jets, questioned the Packers' tactics after a game last season. Defensive tackle Karl Edwards, who was picked up by the Packers early in the season and later released, criticized the team's approach to defensive line play after his departure.

And sev- By CLIFF CHRISTL Of the Press-Gazette Dave Hanner, whose career as a player and coach wit the Green Bay Packers was exceeded in length only by the immortaJ Curly Lam-beau, revealed this morning that he was fired by Coach Bart Starr. Manner was teary-eyed and overcome with emotion as he announced he had rejected an offer by Starr to tender his resignation. "I always told my family, 'Never said Manner, who spent '28 years with the Packers. The 49-year old Manner joined the Packers in 1 952 and spent 13 years with the team as a defensive tackle, earning all-pro honors' five times. He retired in 19Gf and immediately joined Vince Lombardi's staff as defensive line coach.

He was appointed defensive coordinator by Dan Devine in 1972. Then Starr gave him the additional title of assistant head coach prior to the 1975 season. "After a lengthy analysis of our defense, it's apparent we need a fresh approach," said Starr. "This was not an easy thing to do. Certainly, Dave is no scapegoat.

"1 just felt the decision had to be made because we weren't getting the total effort from our defense. I can't say Dave is solely responsible or that this move is a total cure-all. I just felt a change in leadership was needed." Starr informed Hanner of his decision Thursday morning. At the same time, he also promoted linebacker coach John Meyer to the position of defensive coordinator and reassigned Fred vonAppen from the special teams to the defensive line. Starr did not attend Hanner 's press conference because he was having a physical examination.

However, later he said it was "by far" the toughest decision he's ever had to make as head coach. "I love him like a brother and am very fond of his family," Starr said of Hanner. The two were teammates for nine years. They also spent a year together as assistant coaches under Devine. And Hanner was the first assistant named by John Meyer Starr after he became head coach.

In fact, Hanner was the only other serious candidate for the head coaching job when Starr was appointed in 1974. Kver since, Hanner has Fred von Appen probably been Starr's closest confidant on the staff. Hanner was consulted on almost all major decisions and the two rode back together from the practice field nearly every day for the past five years. ipsa a is stunned annsr firing eral other players anonymously stated that they felt the team's defensive scheme was outdated. "Our defensive approach was no different than most other people," Hanner said.

"Most of the players who were making those remarks weren't playing very well. "We played the same defenses as most of the other teams. Some people want to do nothing but stunting and jumping around all the time. But this game still gets down to blocking and tackling." The 37-year old Meyer joined the Packers in 1974 after previous coaching stints with New England and Detroit. "He's excellent," said Starr.

"He's sharp, aggressive, imaginative. He's well respected by the players and other assistant coaches." Meyer, meanwhile, said he had mixed emotions about his promotion. "This was something I worked for, but I certainly didn't want to get it under these circumstances," he said. "But I was ready for the challenge." Meyer said he contemplates making some changes, but said it would bt; premature to talk about them. Meyer has been an advocate of the 3-4 defense, but he said he wasn't prepared to say how much the Packers might use it next season.

"There's a good possibility you'll see some of it," he said. "I've got my own thoughts, but I want the defense to be a collection of all the coaches' ideas. "I think the big thing to concentrate on is getting a more effort-oriented type of play." VonAppen joined the Packers last year after 12 years as a college assistant. He was defensive coordinator at Oregon for three years and defensive line coach at Stanford for two. Starr said he did not offer Hanner another job in the organization.

"Quite frankly 1 did not know of one that would be commensurate with his talents or would be more than a token job," said Starr. Hanner, meanwhile, said he hoped to land a job with another NFL team as a defensive coach. Me said he had made several phone calls in the past 24 hours, but that he had no definite opportunities. "Wherever a job takes me, I'll go," said Manner, a native of Parkin, and longtime resident of Green Bay. The Packers now have an opening for a special teams coach, but Starr said he didn't know if the position would be filled or if there would be additional staff shuffling.

Starr also said he was extremely concerned about losing offensive line coach Bill Curry, who is in the running to become head coach at Georgia Tech. "Bill Curry is an outstanding young coach and I don't want to lose him," said Starr. "We'll make every effort to retain him." Starr said Curry is working under a one-year contract, like all of the team's assistants, and is free to talk with Tech officials. By BOB McGINN Of the Press-Gazette The firing of Dave Manner as defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers this morning sent shock waves through the ranks of his defensive players. The news that linebacker coach John Meyer had been elevated to replace Hanner, meanwhile, was generally met with enthusiasm.

"I have mixed emotions," said safety Steve Luke, the team's defensive captain. "I have a lot of respect for what Coach Manner has done over the years and what he's contributed to the organization. "(But) with the change, I feel John Meyer will be a fine defensive coordinator," he said. "We had what I thought was a fair relationship, man-to-man. I felt I could talk to him.

I'll give Coach Hanner a call today." Some persons outside the organization, acknowledged Weaver, felt that the veteran Packer assistant had last touch with the game and his players. "But people here respected him," he insisted. As for Meyer's appointment, Weaver said, "I think that's great. It's a great move up for him. Meyer has put a helluva lot of work in.

I just hope there's no animosity in the coaching staff now." Johnson sensed that Hanner was under pressure this season as the defense sagged along toward its eventual ranking of 23rd in the National Football League. "It was a little more on him at times because of the way the defense was playing," said Johnson. "But most of the same defenses we played year we played this year." Johnson said he, too, had respect for Hanner, although he disagreed with some of Hanner's philosophies. "Some I didn't like, but that was me personally," he said. "But any time you work for somebody you'll disagree with things." With Meyer as defensive coordinator and Fred vonAppen as his new position coach, Johnson feels he'll have to work somewhat harder next season.

"There'll be new coaches at the position and he'll have new philosophies and new logics," he said. Both Gray and McCoy dealt more with secondary coach Dick LeBeau than with Hanner, and neither wished to comment about Hanner's defensive philoso- phy- "I never had a disagreement with the man," said Gray. "We never had any words." "He was all right. He never treated us wrong," said McCoy, who expressed surprise that Hanner didn't receive another job within the organization. "He was under a lot of pressure, he was criticized a lot in the papers.

(But) I don't think it was entirely his fault for our defensive snowing. "It will be kind of strange without Coach Hanner," he added. "Coach Meyer's philosophy will be entirely different, I suppose. Maybe the bast thing will be to start all over." Press-Gazette photo Dave Hanner (left) and Bart Starr congratulate each other after Packers clinch NFL Western Division title in 1961. Hanner exits with class Tony Walter Ot the Press-Gazette he added.

"He's knowledgeable and he's very capable. I think John Meyer will do fine as defensive coordinator." Luke, reached at his home in Massillon, Ohio, had already heard the news from friends in Green Bay. Others, like linebacker Gary Weaver, defensive end Ezra Johnson, and defensive backs Johnnie Gray and Mike McCoy, had not. "What? I'm very shocked," said Weaver from his home in San Ramon, Calif. "You've caught me totally off guard.

I am just stunned." Weaver, like most of the players contacted, said he had a good relationship with Hanner. "I liked Coach Manner," Press-Gazette photo by Orv Peterson in the NFL, mostly with the Green Bay Packers. Bengals General Manager Paul Brownhsaid he was looking for a strong hand to guide his team. Gregg appears to fit this characteristic, playing under Vince Ivomhardi, one of the the most noted disciplinarians of them all. Gregg denied, however, that he was trying to copy Lombardi.

"I think the thing people think about me is that because I played for Vince Lombardi I coach like he does," Gregg said in a recent telephone interview. "That's absolutely false. If I tried to be Iximbardi I'd be a fool. I've got to be myself." The Badgers (6-3) had control of the ball with seven seconds left. But Shoecraft Mole mishandled inbounds pas', ciid fouled, i'P 'uinitig charity shots.

That turnover rtined a tremendous second-half comeback by the Badgers. They overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to tie the But Dave Hanner not only spurned the exile offered to him, he threw away the blindfold and said he'd face the executioner. He was fired and he would say he was fired. And he would do it immediately. It was a visibly crushed Dave Hanner who faced the press to tell of his fate this morning.

There were tears. But, from a man who has given the Green Bay Packers all that Dave Hanner has given, there was a ton of class. An emotional Dave Hanner faced the press this morning. Gregg named BengaSs' coach HOCKEY BUFFS BAUER COOPER CCM Denis carries only the finest names in hockey for lasting comfort and fit for superior performance and maximum Dave Hanner has been fired. The announcement, made by Hanner himself this morning, will not shock most Green Bay Packer fans.

After all, the Packers had a bad 1979 and Hanner's defense got a lot of the blame. When the 5-11 season ended, a lot of people said Hanner's days were numbered. But the rumors which preceded the announcement do not, should not reduce its impact. Whatever the reasons for it, whatever the justifications, the separation of Dave Hanner from the Green Bay Packers is not a happy thing. Everything that has happened to the Green Bay Packers in the last 28 National Football League seasons has involved Dave Hanner.

Only founder Curly Lambeau's 31 seasons surpass that mark in Packer longevity. Only Jim Myers and Ermal Allen of Dallas and Ollie Spencer of Oak- tional Basketball Association. "I really felt we outplayed them in the second half," he said. "But when you are down by so many, it WISCONSIN ((2) Gregory 12 7-10 31. Chrnellch 2 0-0 4, Petty 4 1-3 9.

Matthews 6 0-0 12, Hastings 7 3-4 17, DanaYldge 0 0-1 0, Gaines 0 1-2 1, Bollev 1 1-2 3, Kreklow 0 0-0 0, Mitchell 2 1-2 i. Zlnkgraf 0 0-0 0. Totals 34 14-24 82. NEBRASKA (83) Shoecraft 4 4- 14, West 7 4 4 18, Smith 6 5- Moore 5 1 2-14 22, Collins 30-M. Naderer 0 0-0 0, Down i no 1 0-0 2, Williams 1 0-0 3, McVlcker 1 0-0 2.

Totals 28 27-34 S3. Holftime Nebraska 39. Wisconsin 29. Regulation time Nebraska 75, Wisconsin 75. Fouled out Matthews, Hastings, Gregory Chrnelich, Collins.

CINCINNATI (AP) Forrest Gregg has been 'named head coach of the -National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals, The Associated Press learned today. Gregg, who coached the NFL's Cleveland Browns for three years before resigning in 1977 and was coach of the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts in 1979, succeeds Homer Rice, fired by the Bengals Dec. 17 after Cincinnati's second successive 4-12 season. The Bengals plurined an afternoon news conference to announce the appointment of Gregg. Gregg, 40, an eight-time All-Pro offensive tackle during his 15 years as a player land have served at the same assistant coach position for a longer time.

Hanner was a player on two World Championship teams, an assistant coach on three others. He served under every Packer coach except Lambeau. Those contributions alone would have provided enough emotion for Manner's hastily-called press conference in the Packer locker room. But the longtime relationship between the man they called "Hawg" and the man who fired him must have also supplied a few swallows. The two men played together for nine seasons.

After Starr took over as head coach, he made it a is tough to come back." With Greg Ballard making the most of his latest opportunity to be a starter for the Washington Bullets, the Bullets defeated the Bucks 117-108 Thursday and returned Milwaukee to a tie with Kansas City for first place in the Midwest Division. The muscular 6-foot-7 Ballard scored a career-high 27 points, hitting 10 of 17 shots from the floor, and grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. "The more I play, the more comfortable I feel," the third-year forward from Oregon said. "I know now that I'm going to be in there for a while and I'm playing more relaxed." habit to ride to and from the practice field with Hanner, his defensive coordinator, every day. When Hanner and his defense were criticized by fans and the media this season, Starr was very outspoken in his support for his assistant.

He would not criticize him. But Thursday morning, Starr had to fire him. Hanner Could have taken the poorly-veiled departure route most assistants take when their time has come. He could have pretended that he left the Packer organization of his own volition and some people would have believed it. He was given that option by Starr.

He was told he could resign first. Coach Dick Motta said he is very pleased with Ballard's play as a substitute for ex-Buck Bobby Dandridge, who has missed the last four games with an assortment of foot, knee and back ailments. MILWAUKEE (108) Johnson 7 3-4 17, Mevers 5 2-3 12, Catchings 1 00 2, Watson 2 2-2 6, Winters 4 2-3 10, Bridoeman 10 6-6 27, Benson 4 22 10, Washington 2 0-0 4, Mo.i-cViet 8 4-5 20, Cummings 0 0-0 0. Totals 43 21-25 )08. WASHINGTON (117) Ballard 10 7-7 27.

Hayes 9 11 19, Unseld 5 2-3 12, Clemons 2 0-0 4, Grevev 7 3-4 17, Kupchak 3 0-0 6, Cor-2lne 0 0-00, Wright 6 0-0 12, Phegloy 8 4-4 20. Totals 50 I7-I9 117. Mllwaukee Wasington 27 28 26 37108 35 36 18 28 117 Three pom! goal Bndgeman. Fouled out None Total fouls Milwaukee 21, Washington 20. Technicals Milwaukee Coach Nelson, Milwaukee Assistant Coach Klllllea.

A 9,693. Slow start hampers Bucks protection. FIGURE SKATES s1 49u? LAST YEAR'S HOCKEY SKATES SAVE 30 -HOCKEY HEADQUARTERS HEAD GEAR SOX SUSPENDERS Late mistakes doom Badgers LANDOVER, Md. (AP) The Milwaukee Bucks fell behind by 16 points in the first half, and even a rookie like Sidney Moncrief knows that is a no-no in the Na Huskers 75-75 on Keith Mitchell's 17-foot baseline jumper with three seconds left in regulation. Badger forward Dan Hastings scored two crucial baskets in the last 25 seconds of regulation.

Hastings then gave Wisconsin an 82-81 lead with two free throws with 19 seconds left in GARTER BELTS ANKLE GUARDS ELBOW PADS GOAL PADS MOUTH GUARDS HOCKEY GLOVES SHOULDER PADS CARRY-ALL BAG WED. PARK FREE AT PANTS JERSEYS MASKS STICKS SPORT SHOP 922-26 Main Street HONOLULU (AP) Sophomore forward Jerry. Shoecraft who missed a free throw that could have won the game in regulation time calmly sank vu fre--throws with three seconds left in overtime Thursday to give Nebraska an 83-82 victory over Wisconsin in the lfith annual Rainbow Classic basketball tournament. FRI. 9-9 msomm SAT.

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