Imperial Valley Press

Frank Leahy.

Frank Leahy, one of the nation's most successful football coaches, has become the head man at Notre Dame. He succeeds the capable Elmer Layden, now the commissioner of professional football and will carry on the traditions established by the immortal Knute Rockne.

Leahy, who has coached at Boston College the past two years, turned out two bowl teams. His 1939 machine was defeated in only one game and dropped a 6-3 decision to Clemson in the Cotton Bowl.

Last year Boston College went undefeated in the regular season, then polished off Tennessee, 19-13, in the Sugar Bowl.

While Leahy was vacationing in Palm Beach, Fla., after that final game he was contacted from Chicago by telephone and talked about the Notre Dame job with "a friend and alumnus."

Later, he and the friend met under assumed names at Albany, N.Y., and Leahy agreed to terms if he could have his Boston College contract dissolved. That was done amicably.

His five year contract at B.C. reportedly called for an annual salary of $9,500. Layden received $10,000 for the 1940 season at Notre Dame and had an $11,000 contract, unsigned, in his pocket when he talked over the commissioner's job with National league officials.

The Rev. J. Hugh O'Donnell, president of Notre Dame, announced the appointment late yesterday.

"In my judgment," he said, "Leahy possesses the necessary qualifications to direct our sports program and coach our football team in accordance with Notre Dame traditions."

Leahy's coaching career in brief:

1931—Assistant at Georgetown.

1932-1933—Line coach for Jimmy Crowley at Michigan State.

1933-1939—Followed Crowley to Fordham and there developed the "seven blocks of granite," a well-nigh impregnable line that made Fordham a national contender for three seasons.

1939-1940—Head coach at Boston College. 20 games won, two lost.

SOUTH BEND, Ind., Feb. 15. (UP) - Frank William Leahy of Boston College, at 32 one of the most successful coaches in football comes back to Notre Dame today "to serve my alma mater" by signing a long term contract as head football coach and athletic director.

Terms of the contract were not revealed but campus sources said Notre Dame had matched the five year pact Leahy already had signed with Boston College. Leahy, himself, admitted his offer "is for a long term."

The soft-spoken coach was a star tackle at Notre Dame—playing on the late Knute Rockne's last and greatest national championship teams of 1929 and 1930—and from the start he apparently was the leading candidate for the post relinquished by Elmer Layden, new commissioner of the National Football league.

His brilliant success in two years at Boston College, which twice carried him into New Year's Day bowl games brought a flood of offers both from universities and the National league. One offer was so great, he admitted:

"It would have given me the greatest job in football and made me financially independent for life."

The only plan for the future Leahy has made known is his intention of bringing in his entire staff of four assistants from Boston College. These men—Ed McKeeve, formerly of Texas Tech; End Coach Johnny Druze, who worked with Leahy at Fordham; Line Coach Tom Powers—will replace Layden's staff of Joe Boland, Joe Benda, Chet Grant and Bill Cerney.

The job at Boston College was Leahy's first as head coach. In his first season 1939, Boston College won nine and lost to Florida, 7 to 0, during the regular season.

Clemson beat the Eagles in the Cotton Bowl at Dallas 6 to 3.