Japan Imports U.S. Coaches’ Grid Savvy

Japanese college football coaches will receive a firsthand look at American coaching techniques when two Claremont-Mudd-Scripps coaches visit the Orient from April 19 through May 8.

John Zinda, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football coach and athletic director, and Mike Maynard, a football assistant, will be consultants for the Doshisha University Wild Rovers of Kyoto and will lead coaching clinics.

“Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Doshisha University are trying to develop a strong relationship, which has resulted in this athletic exchange,” Zinda said. “Last fall two football coaches from Doshisha, Masafumie Inouie and Yoshihiro Fujiwara, became part of our coaching staff and observed American football from our sidelines.”

Zinda said he and Maynard will watch the Doshisha vs. Rikkyo game April 27 and conduct a clinic the following day. Clinic topics are zone pass coverage, attacking zone coverage, containing the rush and the kicking game.

“We want to promote American football in Japan,” Zinda said. “Football is growing at a fast clip in Japan and the interest and enthusiasm are there. I can foresee where the football exchange between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Japan might even develop the potential for an all-star game. Japan is hungry for football.”

And hungry for American coaching knowledge.

The NCAA Division III men’s swimming and diving championships have looked strikingly similar the last three years.

That may be because Kenyon of Ohio and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps have finished first and second in the race for the title each time.

Don’t be surprised if they finish first and second again next year.

Can Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finally hit the top spot next year?

Coach Mike Sutton thinks his team will have its best chance, considering that his top three swimmers--Tom Harrison, Ned Busch and Nick Bagatelos--return. They combined to earn 11 All-American honors and score 148 points in the championship meet in March.

Also on the bright side, the Stags appear to be closing the point differential with Kenyon. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps finished 291 points behind Kenyon in the 1984 championships and stayed within 95 this time.

It appears that the San Gabriel Valley League, which does not have high schools from the San Gabriel Valley, will stay that way--at least for now.

Moe Chavez, principal at Downey High of the San Gabriel Valley League, said a name change for the league was discussed at the area releaguing meeting in March, but officials have decided to keep the name at least through the 1986 school year, apparently for lack of a better name.

“We can think of it as a misnomer, but every time we get to thinking about changing it we can’t come up with a name everyone can agree with,” Chavez said.

--MITCH POLIN