Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald

Oklahoma's Coach Gets Honored As Coach Of Year In Big Seven

Kansas City, Nov. 30 (AP) - Youthful Charles (Bud) Wilkinson the husky football headmaster of the Oklahoma Sooners, is "Coach of the Year" in the Big Seven Conference.

Wilkinson, who coached his Sooners into a Sugar Bowl Date, got .903 per cent of the votes 28 to 3 - in a poll of the Big Seven writers conducted by the Associated Press.

The Sooners tied Kansas for the conference crown in 1947 and won it outright this year. Rated fifth in the final national standings for the season, they'll be looking for greater prestige against North Carolina in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 1.

Several writers pointed out that Wilkinson had done a masterful job in developing a fine bunch of sophomores and in bringing the best foot-ball out of guard Paul (Buddy) Harris, who began his stardom in 1942.

Wilkinson was a star player on the great Minnesota teams under Bernie Bierman in 1934-35-36.

A guard the first two seasons, he was moved to quarterback in 1936. The following August he directed the college all-stars to their first victory over the champion professionals -- the Green Bay Packers -- at Soldier's Field in Chicago.

Wilkinson, only 33, had assistant coaching stints at Syracuse, Minnesota and Iowa Pre-Flight before coming to Oklahoma as chief aid to Jim Tatum three years ago.

Wilkinson became a disciple of the split-t formation while assisting Don Faurot, Missouri coach with the Iowa Pre-Flight team in 1943. He's grafted a variety of offshoots to the system.

The handsome Oklahoma mentor was a Navy lieutenant during the war and served as a hangar deck officer on the aircraft carrier Enterprise. He saw action off Iwo Jima, Tokyo, Kyushu and Okinawa.

The Sooners' J Paul (Buddy) Harris was elected lineman of the year and Jack Mitchell was nominated the number one back.