Frei holds firm;
sentiment grows
By JIM HUNTER
and
NEAL ROSEN
Of the Emerald
In the aftermath of Jerry Frei’s
resignation as Oregon’s head
football coach, rumors persist his
decision was affected not only by
the media as Frei presented in
his statement, but by alumni
pressure.
In his prepared resignation
statement of Wednesday, Frei
said he “reached the conclusion
that in the existing atmosphere of
rumor and innuendos as printed
in the newspapers, it would be
impossible for me to effectively
carry on in the manner which I
felt necessary to make continuing
progress with our program.”
Thursday Frei reinterated his
stand, saying, “I’d like basically
to sit on my statement of Wed
nesday.”
The veteran of 17 years in the
Oregon coaching program, five
as head coach, expanded upon his
prior statement, saying, “It
would be very difficult to go to the
high schools to recruit with them
knowing that maybe the axe was
there and them thinking there
might be a change in a year.”
Frei was emphatic in his denial
that alumni pressure brought to
bear on Athletic Director Norval
Ritchey had any influence on his
decision. “No, no, you can be
assured my decision wasn’t in
fluenced.”
Frei explained what was
specifically meant by his
statement “rumors and in
nuendos as printed in the
newspapers” with “that includes
anything printed on the basis of a
rumor story without my having a
say or being asked what my plans
air.
He did elaborate, though, on
which newspapers he was
referring to in his resignation
statement. Asked whether a Neil
Cawood-Bud Withers article in
the Jan. 1, 1972 issue of the
Eugene Register-Guard and an
article in last week’s Oregon
Journal by George Pasero were
the stories in question he replied
“take a look at my comment of
Wednesday and apply it to those
two stories.”
After effects of Frei’s
resignation have taken the form
of two “campaigns”—one is
being waged by ASUO President
Iain More. Thursday night More
presented to the ASUO Senate a
petition expressing support for
Frei. The motion passed on a
voice vote. The other “Cam
paign” is for the coaching
position left vacant by Frei.
More, who in a statement
Wednesday attacked Ritchey for
succumbing to alumni pressure,
is heading a University-wide
petition drive.
Repeating his stand of Wed
nesday. More said, “I hope this
petition will force the Athletic
Department to consider student
views on its operation. I think the
students want some people in
there who stand by their prin
ciples and will not buckle to
outside pressure "
The petition reads: “We, the
below signed students of the
University of Oregon, wish to
express our support of Jerry
Frei, UO Football Coach. Frei
has been a victim of pressure
from alumni and the press who
demand that an athletic program
produce winning teams. We
deplore a system of in
tercollegiate athletics that places
more importance on the dollar
and a winning team than the
individuals involved. It is un
fortunate that an athletic
program is susceptible to the
kind of pressure which has
evidently made it necessary for
Jerry Frei to resign. The Oregon
athletic program will be poorer
for his departure.”
More said Ritchey could have
been a “preventative agent” in
Frei’s resignation. I think he
(Ritchey) could have done quite a
bit to stop the kind of talk that
resulted in Frei quitting. I
thought he handled this, just as
he had handled other personnel
matters—very poorly.”
Along with the personnel
condemnation, More accused
Ritchey of not being completely
honest in his handling of Frei’s
resignation. He said this lack of
honesty has previously appeared.
“I thought in such situations as
the ASUO-Autzen Stadium
concessions hassle and the Belko
Harter transition, Ritchey was
definitely not telling the truth.”
More said he has asked Gerald
Bogen, Vice-President for
Student Affairs, to contact Rit
chey about getting students on
the committee that will select a
new coach. ‘‘Hopefully, the
students will help in the choosing
of a coach who adheres to the
same principles as Frei’s.”
The principles More referred to
were contained in his Wednesday
statement. It, in part, said “In an
unideal situation Jerry Frei ran
as ideal a program as possiDie
with the broad interests of the
participants preeminent in his
mind and actions.”
More said that he has “heard
through the grapevine” Ritchey
is “willing” to elicit student
opinion in the selection process of
a new coach. More added,
“However, he has made no effort
to contact me.”
The conjecture over a new
coach took an additional point of
interest with the inclusion of
assistant coach Dick Enright’s
candidacy for the job in the same
Athletic Department release that
carried Frei’s resignation
statement.
Enright, 37 and Oregon of
fensive line coach for the past two
years, allayed speculation that
his declaration was op
portunistic.
“Jerry told me the night
before (Tuesday night) he was
handing in his resignation and
would make the announcement
the following day. In that con
versation he said ‘You ought to be
a candidate.' So that’s where it
began. He said i think you have
the support of a lot of people.’ ”
Frei said Thursday "I don’t
think it was opportunistic. I do
not look at it badly at all. He’s a
very fine coach. If he has an
opportunity, go ”
Jennifer Trim
mell of Bullfrog magaiine
testify before the Drug
Subcommittee of the
Legislative Interim Com
mittee on Alcohol and Drugs
(above). The meeting, held
last night in the EMU, was
conducted by Dr. Morris
Crothers (right) and heard
testimony from various people
involved with trying to solve
the drug problem in Oregon.
Points made during the
meeting included such things
as readjusting priorities,
where coping with drug
problems would be taken out
of the hands of the police and
taken over by such
organizations as White Bird
and Looking Glass clinics.
Recommendations to the
Committee included more
state funds for such clinics
and an emphasis on educating
the public in the problems of
drug abuse.
HPUP deadline
For all departments on cam
pus, except for those contained
within the College of Liberal
Arts, today is the deadline for
turning in to the administration
answers to University President
Robert Clark's “20 questions.”
Departments are required to
answer 20 questions concerning
program priorities as part of
Clark's University-wide program
priority review.
The College of Liberal
Arts has an extended deadline
next Wednesday.
Vice President for Academic
Affairs Harry Alpert said the
only scheduled meeting of the
Hearing Panel on University
Priorities (HPUP) is set for 1:30
p m next Wednesday in the
Johnson Hall Conference Room
Discussion at the meeting will
concern the University’s doctoral
programs.
OSPIRG refund deadline
Today is the last day for students to pick up OSPIRG (Oregon
Student Public Interest Research Group) refunds
The one dollar refund checks are available at the EMU Main
Desk from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students need to show their pink
student body cards to get the refund.
Add/drop deadline
Today is the last day to add or drop classes. Any drops after
today will be recorded on the student’s transcript as a W. Add-drop
forms may be picked up at the registrar’s office.