Page 14
Daily Nebraskan
Thursday, January 16, 1986
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Fiesta ends Fischer's career
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By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
PHOENIX, Ariz. After 26 years as
a member of the Nebraska football
coaching staff, Cletus Fischer's retire
ment didn't begin the way he would
have liked it to.
Nebraska's 27-23 loss to Michigan in
the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Day
marked Fischer's final appearance on
the sidelines as a Husker coach.
Fischer said losing his last game as a
coach left an "empty" feeling.
"I would have liked a victory," he
said, "but things don't always go as
planned. I feel sorry for the seniors who
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are leaving, more than for myself."
Fischer, who has spent the last ,17
years as the Husker offensive line and
kicking coach, will be replaced by Dan
Young, who has coached the Husker
freshmen to a 14-1 record during the
last three seasons,
Fischer said Young is a "more-than-capable"
replacement. :
"We've worked together for the last
few years, and I know he's got a great
football mind," he said. "He's got the
ingredients essential to help the foot
ball program continue to stay where
it's at."
Fischer will remain close to Nebraska
football, however, working in the athletic
department.
Fischer said he will be working
primarily with the Beef Club, an organ
ization he said he hopes will get more
publicity than it has in recent years.
"You always read about the Touch
down Club, but I think the Beef Club
should be mentioned a little more in
the newspapers," Fischer said. "It would
be good advertising for the state,
because Nebraska is a beef state."
Fischer said his main job in the
athletic department will be to raise
money for the football program to help
continue its success,
Fischer's first contact with Nebraska
was in 1945 when he enrolled in the
university and became a standout half
back for the Huskers. After his career
with Nebraska, Fischer played one sea
son with the New York Giants.
A year later, Fischer began his coach
ing career at St. Edwards High School,
his alma mater. He also coached high
school ball at Columbus, St. Bonaven
ture, Omaha South and Midland, Texas.
In 1960, he was hired by Coach Bill
Jennings as the offensive backfield
coach, where he remained until 1962,
when he was named the freshman
offensive line coach.
In 1967 and 1968, Fischer became
coach of the freshman team, leading
the Huskers to an 8-0 record in those
two seasons.
Fischer became the varsity offensive
line coach in 1969 and has been there
ever since.
During his 17 years as offensive line
coach, Fischer has been responsible for
coaching three Outland Trophy winners
(Dave Rimington won two), two Lom
bardi Trophy winners and 13 first-team
Ail-Americans.
Fischer credits his success as a
coach to the good athletes that cometo
Nebraska each fall. :
"Every season we get players here
who aren't selfish, who are interested
in getting an education and playing
well for the team and the university,"
Fischer said.
Fischer said his training methods for
his athletes have never included the
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Photo Courtesy UNL Sports
Information
Fischer
use of steroids.
"Until recently, I wasn't really aware
of steroids," Fischer said. "I feel that
there's really no place for them in
athletics. People who use them ought
to be punished a little more harsh
action should be taken to stop their
use."
Fischer's retirement brings to a close
a long-standing Fischer family tradi
tion at Nebraska. His brothers Rex, Pat
and Ken all played football for the
Huskers, as did sons Pat, Tim and Dan.
His daughter Kerry played on the Neb
raska women's softball team while his
other daughter, Kathleen, was a member
of the Huskerettes, a dance group that
performs at Nebraska basketball games.
Although Fischer said he can do
without the weekly meetings of the
coaching staff, he said he will miss a lot
of other things about coaching.
"I guess my real memories will be of
people I have worked with," Fischer
said. "Bob Devaney was a super coach
and is a great athletic director, and
Tom Osborne is one of the finest
coaches in the nation. Everyone here at
the university has been real coopera
tiveand the fans are just great. They
support the program well. I'll remember
the victories, too. There were a lot of
victories, and a lot of ups and downs
but there were more ups than downs.
I'll have a lot of good thoughts to look
back on. The last 24 years have been
great here."
Massengale
supports
drug tests
OMAHA University of Nebraska
Chancellor Martin Massengale said the
National Collegiate Athletic Associa
tion convention was significant for
stances taken on drugs.
Nebraska and Creighton University
officials said they voted for the NCAA's
drug-testing plan, which passed in a
near-unanimous vote Tuesday.
It banned anabolic steroids and
other performance-enhancing sub
stances and "street drugs" such as
cocaine, heroin, amphetamines and
marijuana.
Under the plan, athletes will be
tested prior to NCAA championship
events and bowl games.
"It will have a significant impact on
schools," Massengale said. "Although
the legislation is for testing at NCAA
championships, I think the result is
that many schools will be putting in
testing programs now. WeVe had a pro
gram for some time now, so it won't
" impact us."
Trivia contest
to test students'
sports wisdom
The UNL campus recreation depart
ment has scheduled the preliminary
test of its annual sports trivia contest
for 6 p.m. today at the Coliseum.
The 60-question test includes sec
tions on football, basketball, baseball
and miscellaneous. The questions en
compass sports of the past and present.
There is no entry fee for the test. The
top eight scorers in the preliminary
jtest will advance to a final next week.
; Last year's sports trivia champion
was Bob Asmussen, current Daily Ne
braskan Sports Editor.