"Success has followed Weeb Ewbank wherever he has gone as a professional football coach. Now entering his 19th year as a pro head coach, second only to Paul Brown in terms of service, he can look back upon three World Championships, over 100 pro victories, and the title of Coach of the Decade in the old American Football League.
Ewbank, head coach and general manager, guided the AFL Jets to the professional football championship of the world in 1968 and won titles back-to-back in 1958 and 1959 as coach of the Baltimore Colts, the team the Jets defeated for the crown. His feat with the Jets made him the only coach in history to win world championships in both leagues. In the opening game of the 1969 campaign, Ewbank recorded his 100th coaching triumph when the Jets defeated Buffalo, and the total now stands at 119.
Weeb began his career as an assistant at his alma mater, Miami University of Ohio, and spent 14 seasons there. In 1959 he was presented with an honorary Doctorate from Miami and in February of 1969 he was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame.
In 1943 he joined Paul Brown at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station as an assistant. At the end of the war, Weeb became backfield coach at Brown University and head basketball coach for the Bruins. After one season there he moved to Washington University in St. Louis as head grid coach. In two seasons he brought the Maroons their finest record in 30 years, compiling a 14-4 record, including a 9-1 mark in 1948. While there, Weeb also acquired a son-in-law- Charlie Winner, one of his players, married his daughter. Winner, formerly head coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, is now an assistant coach for the Washington Redskins.
In 1949, Ewbank entered the pros by rejoining Paul Brown with the Cleveland Browns, serving as line coach. During the next four years, the Browns dominated pro football, winning the All-America Conference title, then taking the NFL championship in 1950 and Eastern Division pennants in 1951, '52 and '53.
Ewbank publicly exhibited his brilliant managerial talents when he moved to Baltimore in 1954. He took a team that was beset with disorganization and within six years produced two NFL championships. Among the many stars developed by Ewbank in Baltimore were Johnny Unitas, Alan Ameche, Raymond Berry, Lenny Moore, Gino Marchetti, Art Donovan, Bill Pellington, Jim Parker and Big Daddy Lipscomb.
In 1963 the New York Jets moved to get Ewbank to lead the struggling AFL franchise on the path to success. Moving carefully to reorganize the team, Ewbank led the Jets for four years before producing a winner for the first time in 1967. Then in 1968 the rebuilding plans came to fruition with the Super Bowl championship.
Through the years, players and assistant coaches who have been under Ewbank have gone on to greater assignments. Three of these associates have become head coaches in pro football. Don McCafferty, who coached with Ewbank, is presently coaching Baltimore, while Don Shula, who played under Ewbank at Baltimore, is the head man at Miami. Clive Rush, Weeb's aide with the Jets, was the head coach of the Boston Patriots. Joe Spencer, a former offensive line coach with the Jets and St. Louis Cardinals, played tackle under Ewbank and Paul Brown at Cleveland. John Sandusky, Joe Thomas, Lou Rymkus, Art Spinney, Jack Patera, Carl Tassef, Bobby Boyd, Bob Shaw, John Bridges, Frank Lauterbur, and Babe Parilli are others who have moved ahead after playing or coaching under Ewbank.
Since coming to New York, the 65-year-old Ewbank has developed six All-Pro (combined AFL-NFL) players- Joe Namath, Gerry Philbin, George Sauer, Jim Turner, Matt Snell and Winston Hill. Don Maynard, Larry Grantham, Dainard Paulson, Dave Herman, Sherman Plunkett, Verlon Biggs and John Elliott are others who have received All-AFL and/or AFC honors under Ewbank. Hill and Elliott were members of the American Conference Pro Bowl squad. A trio of these players- Namath, Philbin, Maynard- were selected to the all-time All-AFL team.
As an undergraduate at Miami, Weeb was a quarterback, captain of the baseball team and a forward on the basketball team. A native of Richmond, Indiana, he married the former Lucy Massey, also of Richmond. They have three married daughters, all with families."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook
WEEB EWBANK
Pro Football's Expert Judge Of Talent
"Much of Wilbur Ewbank's conversation is wrapped up in cliches. Things like ... 'there's no magic carpet for success,' 'he's our kinda people,' 'you gotta pay the price' and 'don't lead with your heart.'
These are the things that stereotype coaches and Ewbank, called Weeb since the day his little brother couldn't pronounce Wilbur, has been at this hard way to make an easy living for 44 years now.
Ewbank, now a 65-year-old grandfather, is a can't miss nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame because of what he has accomplished. He's the only coach to win championships in both the National Football League and the American Football League.
But discounting the titles and the excellent record he has established, few coaches have had the exacting eye for talent that he has.
It takes a man with a long memory to recall if Ewbank ever missed on his evaluation of a player. And, of course, the hardest thing in coaching is to recognize ability because often times it's separated by a fine line- those who can make it and still miss.
If there is any characteristic about Ewbank which stands out it is his perception in looking at football muscle on the hoof and saying, 'I'll take this one.' or 'This one won't do.'
The success of the New York Jets and the acquisition of Joe Namath must be credited to Weeb.
In 1963, when the Jets were holding press conferences at the old Polo Grounds, owner Sonny Werblin was asked what his team had in mind for the upcoming draft.
'I don't know who we're going to draft,' answered Werblin, 'but I sure like that George Mira. He's the most exciting player I have ever seen.'
The Jets, at that time, were in a life-and-death battle with the New York Giants for patronage and Mira, then a sensation with the University of Miami, had the color and reputation to put folks in the stands.
But when the question of a first draft pick was directed to Ewbank, he wouldn't tell them. He probably twitched his shoulders in that nervous way, a condition no doubt brought on by having to win games with the 'two minute drill' and cleared his throat.
Ewbank said he didn't want to reveal his draft plan. 'We don't want to give the other team any advantage,' he answered. 'If you know who the other teams are going to take let me know.
'But I'm really not interested in Mira. He may be able to play but a little guy and a scrambler will never take you to a championship.
'I've seen some great little quarterbacks like Frankie Albert and Eddie LeBaron but they have never won a title and that's what it's all about. I'd rather stay with Dick Wood another year. We have our eye on a junior down at Alabama. I'd like to have him.'
And, subsequently, Ewbank got his wish ... Joe Namath.
Ewbank isn't around taking bows for Namath. The pro football world knew all about Namath but again Ewbank recognized a talent when he saw one and, after he got Namath, certainly knew what to do with him.
In the Super Bowl game of 1968, which the Baltimore Colts will never forget, the Jets had eight free agents in the starting lineup, including the entire defensive secondary which intercepted four Colts' passes.
The Jets' draft has been good to them. Two years ago, eleven of the 14 rookies reporting to training camp made the 40-man roster or band squad.
The injury to Namath in the first Colts' game two years ago meant he had to go with Al Woodall, a quarterback who had only completed four of nine passes the previous season as a rookie.
In his first start, standing in for Namath, young Woodall gained only 33 yards passing, the lowest accounting the airborne Jets ever made.
'I saw some good work out there,' said Ewbank about Woodall's work. 'The errors he made out there are correctable ones.
The public and press screamed for another quarterback but Ewbank held fast in that stubborn way of his, which seems almost innate. He was proven right, however, when Woodall led the Jets to surprising victories over the Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots and Minnesota Vikings.
There was another occasion, an August night in Boston, the year was 1956, when the Colts got whipped 28 to 10 by the New York Giants in an exhibition. The regular quarterback, George Shaw, had pneumonia and was in a Baltimore hospital.
So Ewbank, then the Colts head coach, went with this rookie quarterback he had. The substitute wasn't impressive. The New York press and the Baltimore sports writers agreed that the Colts weren't going anywhere if Shaw wasn't going to be healthy.
But, Ewbank was resolute. He said he saw things he liked in this tall skinny kid who turned out to be ... well, John Unitas.
Never let it be said that Wilbur (Weeb) Ewank can't tell a football player when he sees one. It's one of his most striking qualities."
-John Steadman, Baltimore News-American (Football Digest, January 1973)
WALT MICHAELS (Linebackers Coach)
"Michaels was a four-time All-Pro linebacker with the Cleveland Browns from 1955-58. He played with the Browns from 1952-61, seeing duty in two NFL championship games and on five divisional champions. A graduate of Washington and Lee University in 1951, Walt broke into pro football with the Packers in 1951.
Walt was defensive line coach for Oakland before joining the Jets. He came to the Jets in 1963 and handled the defensive line until the '67 campaign when he took over as linebacker and secondary coach. He helped mold the Jets' defense into the AFL's best in 1968 and into the leading AFC defense in 1970. His secondary had a field day in the Super Bowl in '69 with four interceptions.
Walt took two rookie cornerbacks in 1970 and two safeties acquired by trades and coached them into a unit that allowed the lowest pass completion average in all of football. He has had several of his players reach All-Star status such as Larry Grantham, Verlon Biggs and Al Atkinson.
Walt was born in Swoyersville, Pennsylvania."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
BUDDY RYAN (Defensive Line Coach)
"Ryan joined the Jets in 1968 and has molded rushing defenses which have ranked near the top. In '68 the Jets were first in the AFL against the rush, second in 1969, and in 1970 his charges led the AFC in rushing defense.
Buddy helped develop Gerry Philbin into All-Pro status and had him, Verlon Biggs and John Elliott on the 1968 AFL All-Star squad. Philbin repeated in '69 and Elliott was an All-Star in '69 and '70. Philbin was also named to the all-time All-AFL team. Buddy's rushline charges set a club record for dumping quarterbacks in 1969 when they toppled Houston's quarterbacks nine times in one game.
Ryan won four letters as a guard at Oklahoma State from 1952-55. He was defensive line coach at the University of the Pacific in 1967 after being head defensive coach at Vanderbilt in '66. From 1961-65 he was defensive line coach at the University of Buffalo and one of the players he began to develop there was Gerry Philbin.
Buddy played on the Fourth Army championship team in Japan. He saw action in Korea and was a sergeant upon his discharge.
He was born in Frederick, Oklahoma."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
KEN MEYER (Receivers Coach)
"Meyer came to the Jets in 1969. He spent one year with San Francisco where he coached the offensive backfield.
Ken graduated from Denison College in 1948 after lettering in football for three years. He coached at Denison from 1952 through '57, then he moved to Wake Forest for 1958 and '59. He became an assistant coach at Florida State from 1960-63. Ken went to Alabama from 1963-67 where he worked with Joe Namath and coached five consecutive bowl games for the Crimson Tide. He has coached five pro players- Namath, Steve Tensi, Norm Snead, Steve Sloan and Wayne Trimble. Ken holds a master's degree from Ohio State.
With the Jets, Meyer has seen several of his charges such as Namath, Don Maynard, George Sauer and Matt Smell gain all-star honors.
Ken was born in Erie, Pennsylvania."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
"Ryan joined the Jets in 1968 and has molded rushing defenses which have ranked near the top. In '68 the Jets were first in the AFL against the rush, second in 1969, and in 1970 his charges led the AFC in rushing defense.
Buddy helped develop Gerry Philbin into All-Pro status and had him, Verlon Biggs and John Elliott on the 1968 AFL All-Star squad. Philbin repeated in '69 and Elliott was an All-Star in '69 and '70. Philbin was also named to the all-time All-AFL team. Buddy's rushline charges set a club record for dumping quarterbacks in 1969 when they toppled Houston's quarterbacks nine times in one game.
Ryan won four letters as a guard at Oklahoma State from 1952-55. He was defensive line coach at the University of the Pacific in 1967 after being head defensive coach at Vanderbilt in '66. From 1961-65 he was defensive line coach at the University of Buffalo and one of the players he began to develop there was Gerry Philbin.
Buddy played on the Fourth Army championship team in Japan. He saw action in Korea and was a sergeant upon his discharge.
He was born in Frederick, Oklahoma."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
KEN MEYER (Receivers Coach)
"Meyer came to the Jets in 1969. He spent one year with San Francisco where he coached the offensive backfield.
Ken graduated from Denison College in 1948 after lettering in football for three years. He coached at Denison from 1952 through '57, then he moved to Wake Forest for 1958 and '59. He became an assistant coach at Florida State from 1960-63. Ken went to Alabama from 1963-67 where he worked with Joe Namath and coached five consecutive bowl games for the Crimson Tide. He has coached five pro players- Namath, Steve Tensi, Norm Snead, Steve Sloan and Wayne Trimble. Ken holds a master's degree from Ohio State.
With the Jets, Meyer has seen several of his charges such as Namath, Don Maynard, George Sauer and Matt Smell gain all-star honors.
Ken was born in Erie, Pennsylvania."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
WIMP HEWGLEY (Offensive Line Coach)
"Hewgley joined the Jets in the spring of 1971 to take the place of Joe Spencer, who left for a job with St. Louis. He came highly recommended by both professional and college coaches. Wimp spent the previous nine years coaching the offensive line at Wyoming and Purdue. He helped Winston Hill win Pro Bowl honors again after switching from left to right tackle.
Wimp played tackle at Wyoming, earning all-conference honors. He won the Land Award as the outstanding Wyoming athlete as a senior in 1958. His playing career was interrupted by a three-year tour of duty with the Army as a paratrooper and service team coach.
Wimp entered coaching in 1960 as the freshman coach at Wyoming and spent two seasons in that job before becoming the offensive line coach in 1962. He moved to a similar post at Purdue in 1967 and spent four years there before coming to the Jets.
He was born in Nashville, Tennessee."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
ED BILES (Defensive Backs Coach)
"Biles joins the Jets' full-time coaching staff this year after a season as a talent scout under Homer Edington. He will share the defensive duties with Walt Michaels and Buddy Ryan.
Ed worked for two years (1969-70) as an assistant coach with New Orleans. He coached defensive backs for the Saints and spent one year as Tom Fears' administrative coordinator. Before going to the Saints Ed was head coach at Xavier of Ohio for seven years, coaching such players as Dan Abramowicz and John Shinners.
Ed graduated from Miami (Ohio) in 1953 with a degree in physical education. He got his M.A. from Miami and spent three years there. Ed moved to Xavier in 1956 as freshman grid coach and took over the head job in 1962."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
HOMER EDINGTON (Director of Player Personnel)
"Edington joined the Jets three years ago after a long high school and coaching career in Ohio and Michigan and directed the Jets to a strong draft in 1970 and 1971. He replaced George Sauer, who had held the position from 1963-1969. Homer coached against Weeb Ewbank nearly 30 years ago in the Ohio high school circuit.
Homer graduated from Ohio State in 1938. He began his career at Fairfield High in Hamilton, Ohio, then moved on as an assistant coach at Ohio State from 1943-46. He returned to the high school ranks from 1946-50 with Chillicothe (Ohio) High before heading to Kent State University from 1950-53 as an assistant coach.
During the '50s Homer was a civilian athlete consultant to the U.S. Army in France and Germany and head coach at New Albany (Ohio) High. He coached eight years at Lakewood (Hebron, Ohio) High from 1960-67 and then spent a year at Muskegon Heights High in Michigan just prior to joining the Jets.
Homer was born in Columbus, Ohio."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
MIKE HOLOVAK (Talent Scout and Assistant Coach)
"A fine fullback ... excellent runner. All-American at Boston College in 1942. Second season with the Bears; obtained from Los Angeles Rams in 1947."
-1948 Bowman No. 65
"Mike joined the Patriots after spending nine years as head coach at Boston College, the longest reign of any gridiron mentor.
Born in Lansford, Pa., he was the regular fullback at Boston College for three seasons. As a sophomore in 1940, he played on an Eagle club that defeated Tennessee in the Orange Bowl and won the national title. Mike tallied three touchdowns against Alabama in the Orange classic two years later as BC co-captain.
He served 15 months in the Pacific with a PT boat squadron. He was a fullback for the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 and the Chicago Bears in '47 and '48.
Mike came to BC as the freshman coach in '49. He succeeded Denny Meyers as head coach in '51.
He is married and has two daughters."
-1960 American Football League Yearbook (Jay Publishing)
"Holovak established an enviable 1961 record, losing just once in nine games, taking over the club after Lou Saban left.
He had a pro career with the Bears and Rams, returning to Boston College to coach the varsity. 'Give it to Mike' was a New England byword in 1942 when he was spectacular as a college ground-gainer.
Born in Vanceford, Pa., he now lives in Natick, Mass."
-Don Schiffer, 1962 Pro Football Handbook
"Mike Holovak believes the most important item in football is the proper mental attitude. He doesn't believe in forcing a player to do the job.
He was a tremendous runner at Boston College and went on to play for the Bears and Rams. After returning to B.C. as a coach, Holovak was made a Patriot assistant when the club was formed in 1960. He assumed control after five games of the '61 campaign, replacing Lou Saban.
Holovak was born in Vanceford, Pa."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1963
"A Boston College immortal, he was a raging fullback under Frank Leahy and later coached at B.C. for nine years, a school record for consistent service.
Holovak put in three years with the Rams and Bears before turning to college coaching; he left B.C. to handle player personnel for the newly formed Patriots and also assisted as offensive backfield coach. He was tabbed to replace Lou Saban as head pilot early in 1961 and has improved the club each season, culminating with the Eastern title last year.
Holovak saw PT service during World War II and retains the rank of Lieutenant Commander, keeping his active reserve status with two-week sea duty every year."
-Don Schiffer, Pro Football 1964
"The coach, Mike Holovak, is shooting for the AFL championship this year after winning the 1963 Eastern Division title. Now in his third full season as coach, his career record with the Patriots is 23-11-3. Holovak was one of the original executives of the club, as director of player personnel, in the inaugural 1960 season. Later he became a backfield aide, taking over as head coach on October 10, 1961.
An All-American fullback at Boston College, he played for the Rams and Bears of the NFL. Later he coached Boston College before joining the Patriots organization.
Holovak is a sound, solid coach and well respected."
-Dave Anderson, Pro Football Handbook 1964
"The name of Mike Holovak is about as hallowed in the environs of Boston as Paul Revere's, and Mike's track record is just as good. A 60-minute fullback on Frank Leahy's undefeated national champions at Boston College in 1940, he remains one of their all-time greats.
After spending three years in pro ball with the Rams and Bears, he returned to B.C. as freshman coach and later became varsity coach, where in nine seasons his teams compiled an enviable 49-29-3 record. In 1959, the Patriots tabbed him as director of player personnel, and in their second season he was named head coach.
He now owns the winningest record among active AFL coaches, with 33 wins, 14 losses and four ties."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1965
"Around the American Football League, the Patriots head coach, Mike Holovak, is highly regarded as a man who can wring the most out of what other coaches might not consider championship personnel. It is no secret that Boston hasn't many 'name' stars- and never has. Yet Holovak, until last season's disaster, had the best won-lost record of any active AFL coach- and this with shrewdly chosen NFL discards and well-scouted, low-bonus, small-college players.
Holovak was himself an All-America fullback for Boston College in 1940 when the Eagles were a national power, and he distinguished himself by playing every minute of every game. He went on to play pro football with the Los Angeles Rams (1946) and Chicago Bears (1947-48).
In 1960, after serving one season as the Patriots' player personnel director, Mike replaced Lou Saban as head coach. He has won one AFL Eastern Division title, in 1963."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1966
"One of these days, Mike Holovak is going to drive the Patriots to the AFL championship and nobody is even going to raise an eyebrow. Mike has raised so many eyebrows in his career as a player and coach that his wonders are more or less taken for granted by now.
Take last year. The Patriots were afforded third-or-fourth-place ranking in most preseason polls- and the pollsters thought they were being more than charitable. So, Mike kept them in the Eastern Division race right down to the final game of the season, when the Jets overturned them in a surprise defeat, 38-28.
You look over his player roster and you naturally have to ask, with what did he do it? Maybe that's why Mike was voted AFL Coach of the Year for 1966. But it was a routine year for him.
In 1964, he guided the Patriots to their best record in history with a 10-3-1 mark, again narrowly missing the Eastern title. In his five years as a coach, his teams have rolled up a 45-26-8 record and hold the series edge against every club in the league.
The Boston crowd has been growing accustomed to Mike's antics ever he was a 60-minute sophomore fullback who led Boston College to the national championship in 1941. Nothing Mike does surprises them anymore."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1967
"There is almost nothing Mike Holovak can do wrong in Boston- including finishing last, which he did last year for the first time in his life. Boston has been Mike's adopted hometown since his undergraduate days at Boston College, where he won fame as a 60-minute fullback on Frank Leahy's undefeated national champions of 1940.
After school, Mike left Boston for several years, to serve on a PT boat with the Navy in World War II, and then to spend three seasons playing professional football for the Rams and Bears.
But Boston never forgot him and he was brought back to coach freshman football at Boston College and later as head coach. Mike spent nine years coaching the varsity, rolling up a 49-29-3 record at a school that didn't exactly get first crack at the best material.
When the Patriots were formed in the new AFL, he was the first executive the club signed, as director of player personnel. But Mike also hungered to be back down on the field, and he served as backfield coach under Lou Saban. When Saban suddenly left for Buffalo early the following season, Mike took over.
Since then, he has guided the Patriots to one Eastern Division crown and four second-place finishes in seven years; and in 1966, he was named AFL Coach of the Year even though his club was runner-up to Buffalo. The remarkable thing about Mike's remarkable record is that his teams are not made up of so-called 'name' players.
The Boston fans were with him last year when he suffered his worst season as a coach. 'We are definitely not a last-place club,' he said, 'and when next fall rolls around, we'll prove it.' Want to know something? The people of Boston believe him."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1968
"Holovak joined the club prior to the 1972 training camp as a member of the Jets' scouting combine. He also worked as an assistant coach at a camp tutoring the tight ends.
He was head coach of the Boston Patriots from 1961-68, earning AFL Coach of the Year honors in 1966. Mike guided the Patriots to the AFL's Eastern Division title in 1963. He was the offensive coach of the 49ers in 1969, joined Oakland as a talent scout in 1970, and was Raiders receiving coach in 1971.
Holovak was an All-America fullback at Boston College from 1939-42, and following a tour of duty in the Navy played for the Los Angeles Rams in 1946 and with the Chicago Bears in 1947 and '48.
He returned to Boston College in 1949 and assumed the head coaching job in 1951. He guided BC to a 49-29-3 record before joining the Patriots as Director of Player Personnel in 1959.
Mike is a native of Lansford, Pennsylvania."
-The New York Jets Official 1972 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
