[Mick]

Mick, I don't think SAT scores prevented Paul Wiggin from winning at Kansas City. And in fact, he had an enormous amount of talent on his teams -- look at the number of guys who played in the NFL. As for Davis, the one specific case he made public in his fight with the admissions office -- the one that ultimately triggered his departure -- was a guy named Chris Munk, who had a C+ GPA in high school. That guy wouldn't have gotten in when I was a student, and he wouldn't get in now. If Davis came to Stanford thinking he was going to get C students past admissions, he was an idiot. I do not find the fact that he was successful at Iowa (sort of; they eventually got rid of him for scheduling too many powderpuffs) to be particularly persuasive. Stanford is never going to have the same admissions policy as a large state university.

What do you mean Wiggin had an enormous amount of talent?  He didn't send appreciably more players to the NFL than Dowhower or Elway.  They all averaged about 3 NFL draftees annually.

I doubt Davis thought he could get C+ students in as a rule.  Do you think the "Doctor" -- who coached at Boston College -- had no illusions as to how difficult it would be to get in talent?  I rather suspect he was misled...it's just too much of a coincidence to me that both football and basketball did poorly during those years.

[Mick]

Mick, I don't think SAT scores prevented Paul Wiggin from winning at Kansas City. And in fact, he had an enormous amount of talent on his teams -- look at the number of guys who played in the NFL. As for Davis, the one specific case he made public in his fight with the admissions office -- the one that ultimately triggered his departure -- was a guy named Chris Munk, who had a C+ GPA in high school. That guy wouldn't have gotten in when I was a student, and he wouldn't get in now. If Davis came to Stanford thinking he was going to get C students past admissions, he was an idiot. I do not find the fact that he was successful at Iowa (sort of; they eventually got rid of him for scheduling too many powderpuffs) to be particularly persuasive. Stanford is never going to have the same admissions policy as a large state university.

What do you mean Wiggin had an enormous amount of talent?  He didn't send appreciably more players to the NFL than Dowhower or Elway.  They all averaged about 3 NFL draftees annually.

I doubt Davis thought he could get C+ students in as a rule.  Do you think the "Doctor" -- who coached at Boston College -- had no illusions as to how difficult it would be to get in talent?  I rather suspect he was misled...it's just too much of a coincidence to me that both football and basketball did poorly during those years.