Chuck Benedict St. Louis Rams offensive line...

Chuck Benedict

St. Louis Rams offensive line coach Jim Hanifan was on the phone and

his closing remark was, “If you see any of my Glendale friends, say

hello, especially to Dr. Bob Haugh. He is one of the world’s really great

guys.”

We called Dr. Robert (Bob) Haugh to relay Hanifan’s message. In return

we heard an enthusiastic memory of sports at Glendale Community College

from a man who helped shape the school’s best football era.

Now in retirement, Haugh was GCC’s president from 1959 through 1967,

after having served as president of Pasadena Jr. College. Later, he

became president of Azusa’s Citrus College.

Hanifan knew him well. Bob Haugh served his faculty, students and

sports personnel with enthusiasm, and hired only those who had the same

characteristic optimism. He spoke to us about his sports focus and some

of his favorite friends:

On football at GCC: ‘When I came to the school in 1959, the football

team had come off a terrible year, and went through another one as I

watched in deep disappointment. The word on campus was that no one at GCC

cared about the game anymore.

“I immediately interviewed dozens of candidates for head coach, and

hired Mike Giddings, who had coached at Monrovia High School.”

On Mike Giddings: “Mike’s enthusiasm caught on throughout the school,

and the team, 2-16 for the previous two years, went 7-2 in 1960. He

turned the football program around as groundwork for the success later

teams have had.

“I wanted to keep Mike forever, but, after one year, head coach John

McKay of USC asked my permission to talk to Giddings about a job with

him. I couldn’t think of holding Mike back. He had earned the right to

work for a top rated coach at a four year university.

“After USC, Mike did some wonderful things throughout college and pro

football, and now he has a college player scouting service, subscribed to

by more than half of the NFL teams.”

On Don Bennett: “He came in as a volunteer after-hours coach and was

so strong in the Giddings pattern that when Mike left I jumped Don all

the way up to head coach. In the next five years under Don, we were 35-9,

going to two junior college bowl games.”

On Jim Hanifan: “A great personality and another perfect example of

the enthusiasm I always wanted. Jim had a great respect for academic

focus and a lot of fun in working with the players. While he was an

assistant under Bennett for two years, Jim and I became warm friends.

Later he was named head coach of the NFL Cardinals and he’s now a key

line coach with the Rams.”

On John Math: “He was another after-hours coach at GCC and later

became chief scout for the Rams.”

On Chuck Banker: “He had attended Monrovia High and Citrus College,

and when he was an undergraduate at Cal State L.A., he came to me and

said he wanted so much to learn coaching that he would work for nothing.

He was another man with enthusiasm, so I hired him under the condition

that he would get his degree eventually. He kept that promise.

“I believe he wound up as an assistant coach under Joe Gibbs with the

Washington Redskins, and now he is the head man in the important college

scouting department of the Houston Texans, who will join the NFL in two

years.”

On Hudson Houck: ‘He was the solid strength in our offensive line in

1961. His enthusiasm was tempered by a very strong determination. He went

on to play at USC, eventually coaching the Rams line for eight years.

Since then he has served the same length of time with the Dallas

Cowboys.”

On Mike Hull: “I watched him as a late-maturing back at Crescenta

Valley High. By the time he reached college age, I knew he was going to

be far better than his earlier play had indicated. I recommended him to

coach John Robinson at USC, who used him well. After that, Mike spent

four years as a running back and tight end in the NFL with the Bears and

Redskins.”

On Rod Dedeaux: “He is the city of Glendale’s residential treasure --

another man of enthusiasm. We were classmates at USC. In my senior year,

I ran for student body president, and, thanks to the campaign management

of Rod Dedeaux, I was elected. Rod, of course, coached baseball at USC

and won more national titles than any other baseball coach, ever. He’s

one of the world’s really great guys.”

*

Dr. Bob Haugh may or may not be spending his retirement as a

motivational speaker, but he has superb tools to be a great one.

We say that enthusiastically.

*

Reach Chuck Benedict at 637-3200 (voice mail 974), by 24-hour fax at

549-9191 or via Email:

BChuckbenedict@aol.com>.

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