Remembering SVSU PROFILE
Fr ank “Muddy” Waters A Coach’s Legacy of Fairness
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rank “Muddy” Waters was a strong believer in fairness. Whether it was the way he coached and mentored his players, or how he directed a department, fairness was a key part of his philosophy of coaching and of life. As a coach, Waters believed in allowing his players to “vote” on training rules. “You can’t expect players to follow rules they don’t own,” he would say. One year, he had to dismiss seven starters before a game against No. 1-ranked Northern Michigan for violating team rules. Waters’ team upset NMU; but what made him most proud was that the seven who were disciplined rushed onto the field after the game and carried some of their teammates back to the locker room on their shoulders. Waters believed in principle. In 1956, well before passage of the Civil Rights Amendment, Waters’ Hillsdale College team earned a post-season invitation to play in the Tangerine Bowl. When bowl officials informed him that his AfricanAmerican players would not be allowed to participate, he asked his team to vote on whether to accept or decline the bid. Every player voted to withdraw from the game, demonstrating his philosophy of fairness on a national level. Although his run as the Cardinals’ head football coach lasted only five seasons (1975 through 1979), Waters embraced the challenge to build a football program from scratch. Former Board of Control member Charles B. Curtiss was instrumental in convincing his SVC colleagues that starting an athletic program that included a football team was the best method to place the school “on the map.” In fact, when driving to Saginaw for his job interview, Waters
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Muddy Waters at his First Axe Bowl Victory on Nov. 12, 1977.
got lost and stopped at a gas station for directions; the attendant mistakenly sent him to Delta College. After finally reaching the right destination, Waters quipped to the board that his experience that morning was “exactly why you need to hire me!” Water’s first challenge at SVSU was to establish a sports tradition. He had been at Hillsdale College where in his 20 seasons as head coach (1954-73) he compiled a record of 135-46-5. “My dad left Hillsdale because he was going to be able to build a football program the way he wanted it built,” his son, Frank “Murky” Waters, said. “Saginaw Valley gave him that opportunity. It wasn’t easy. He came here and there was no tradition, no upperclassmen.” According to Murky Waters, his father “always thought
Saginaw Valley was the toughest job he ever had because the program started from nothing.” By the time of the first SVSU home game, the field had barely been completed. It had bleachers, but no press box. Reporters sat on the top row of the bleachers for the game and wrote on notepads pressed against their knees. Worse yet, there was no proper weight-training equipment for his players. Waters led a community effort and, helped by Saginaw Steering Gear and the local UAW members, purchased new Nautilus equipment for the team. “Muddy was always innovative with different things,” his son said. “If there was a way to help the [SVSU] team he would find a way to make it happen.”