WALT MICHAELS
Head Coach
"The Jets were like a bad play on Broadway when Michaels took over- a long-running production that was receiving bad reviews and needed reworking. Michaels had been passed over before, then they gave him the job almost as an apology.
It hasn't been easy for Michaels, who ripped the club and began infusing youth into the franchise. A Wesley Walker here, a Marvin Powell there. Things are on the upswing now. No miracles, but Michaels was voted AFC Coach of the Year in one poll for making the Jets respectable (8-8).
'Michaels is a professional,' says linebacker Greg Buttle. 'He knows how to get the most out of you without killing you and without bull. He motivates you.' A tough linebacker with the Cleveland Browns from 1952-61, Michaels has kept his sense of humor as a coach."
-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
PETE MCCULLEY
Receivers Coach
"Go ahead and ask. Everyone else is. 'Are there strings attached?' It is assumed by football scholars that any Joe Thomas coach is a puppet. Perhaps that is a strong word, but McCulley is accustomed to answering to someone above him. All 18 of his years as a coach have been as an assistant on both the college and pro levels. But he comes to the 49ers with good recommendations and good associations in his past.
While coaching at Baylor, he handled star quarterback Terry Southall and wide receiver Lawrence Elkins. While with the Colts, he handled Roger Carr, who says McCulley 'has an ability to get along.' While with the Redskins last season, he handled Jean Fugett, who praises McCulley's ability to 'force you to concentrate.'
Born November 29, 1931, in Franklin County, Mississippi, he was an all-conference quarterback at Louisiana Tech. His son Kit plays football for Navy."
-John Jeansonne, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)
"We don't talk about last year- we are only looking ahead. The 49ers will have a lot of new people playing important roles for us and we hope they will give us some consistency. We'll have to wait and see."
Pete McCulley, from News, Quotes & Comments (Football Digest, October 1978)
